From the Lips of a Slytherin
by MrsMCM
Summary: Sixth year at Hogwarts for the Trio. Hermione notices something different about a certain Slytherin. He seems older, more mature, and a little sad. Can she come to terms with this side of Draco or will her fear and his pride keep them as distant as ever?
1. Ch1: Side Commentary

_Disclaimer: If only I owned these delightful characters...I would be as rich as Jo Rowling! As it is, I do not, so please don't sue me._

Chapter 1: Side Commentary

"You what?" Ginny stared in shock at her friend, positive Hermione Granger had lost her mind. The youngest Weasley shook her head, thinking, hoping, she'd heard her friend incorrectly.

"I think Draco Malfoy somehow got more handsome over the summer holidays." Hermione whispered, glancing across the Great Hall at the boy in question. _Man, really,_ she thought, _He's certainly grown up a lot._ The almost white-blonde head turned in her direction, and Hermione quickly turned away. Ginny was still blinking at her as if she'd said something crazy, like 'I want to stop going to the library' or 'I'm giving up books forever!'

"Are you mental?" Ginny asked incredulously, "You can't be serious. After everything he's said and done to you, you still think he's handsome?" Hermione shushed her, frantically looking over at Ron and Harry who were avidly discussing Quidditch.

"Please, Ginny, keep your voice down. I was just making side commentary, it's not like I'm in love with him."

Ginny's eyes widened slightly, then questioned her friend's mental health again.

"But, Hermione, what about him calling you all those names? Surely his demeanor outweighs his appearance."

"Of course! Gin, he's an absolute prat, and a spoiled one at that." Her adamant response seemed to set Ginny more at ease, although she swore to herself that she would spend the rest of dinner watching Hermione out of the corner of her eye. Hermione glanced across the Slytherin again, and muttered under her breath,

"He is very handsome though..."


	2. Ch2: Fireside Worries

_Disclaimer: Wish I did, but I don't own anything but the main plot line, and even that isn't overly original._

Chapter 2: Fireside Worries

She'd been watching him on and off throughout dinner...that Muggle that was always on his mind... Not that he cared, he told himself. But even as he thought it, he knew it was lie. Draco Malfoy looked around the Slytherin Common Room. It seemed to lack that old familiarity and comfort that it used to. The again, he didn't think he'd ever be truly comfortable anywhere again. His father was in Azkaban, and because of that his mother seemed to have stopped caring about anything, with the exception of Draco himself. Draco reclined in the armchair across from the fire. Normally it was sufficient enough to heat the cold stone dungeons where the Slytherin House is. Tonight, however, he could feel none of its warmth. He was lost in thought. He didn't even stir when Pansy Parkinson sat at his feet, and stared up at him, adoringly, _expectantly_.

_At some point,_ Draco figured, _She'll get the idea that I'm not interested in her, and she'll leave me alone._

Eventually, Pansy got bored, and flounced off to pout with a group of girls on the other side of the Common Room. The rest of the Slytherins seemed to realize that Draco was not interested in company. They let him be for the rest of the night.

Lost in a cavalcade of thoughts and the distant emotions they inspired, Draco stared unseeingly into the fire. He had a lot to think about.

His father was in Azkaban, although for how long, nobody could be sure. With the Dark Lord on the rise, and the Dementors were deflecting to his side, the odds that Lucius would be in the Wizard's Prison for long were fairly slim. It didn't lessen the fact that his absence at Malfoy Manor had taken quite a toll on himself and his mother.

His mother...his poor mother... He worried about her so much anymore...She had not been well since his father's incarceration. She hardly ate, and he had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't sleeping either.

It was late, very late, when Draco blinked and shifted in his chair. He looked into the fire, rubbing his eyes to be sure what he was seeing was real. His mother's once beautiful face was smiling vaguely up at him at him from the hearth. He quickly glanced around the room, but he needn't have worried. His classmates had all gone to bed. He dropped to his knees in front of the fire, wincing as he did so. He'd been sitting in one position for too long.

"Mum? What are you doing here? Is everything all right?" The only woman who had ever loved him, whom he'd ever loved, smiled up at him.

"Yes yes Draco. Everything's fine. Or as fine as it could be. I just wanted to be sure you'd gotten to school safely." She looked at him concernedly, then asked, "Did you eat at dinner, dear? You look a bit peaked."

Draco put on a brave smile for his mother.

"Of course, Mum. I'm just tired, that's all. It's been a long day. Did you?" He asked suspiciously. Narcissa nodded, and Draco could see how the shadows played in the thinness of her cheeks and around her eyes. He frowned in worry at his mum. He was almost positive that she was lying to him. She didn't look like she'd eaten more since he left her today at Platform 9 3/4 than she had all summer. Of course, he'd only picked at his own dinner earlier.

"You should get some sleep, Draco." Narcissa murmured consolingly. This, at least, was familiar. She'd said the same words in the same tone to him his entire life. He replied with the line he'd begun to employ over these past few months.

"As should you, Mum. Sleep well."

"Sleep well." She returned, and then she was gone. Draco swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. He stumbled to his feet, and staggered off to bed. But try as he might, he did not sleep well. In fact, he barely slept at all.


	3. Ch3: Bubble, bubble, Boys are trouble!

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. If I did, Snape would wash his hair, and at least have gotten a chance with the girl!_

Chapter 3: Bubble, bubble, Boys are Trouble!

She was staring at him again. She knew she was, but it was getting harder for her to look away. There was something so compelling about him.

"Hermione," Ron whispered, "What am I supposed to add first?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, and turned her attention to her ginger friend, quietly and methodically reciting the order of ingredients, Ron looked gratefully at her, and then went back to his cauldron. Hermione's gaze flickered between her potion and Draco throughout the entire lesson. With five minutes left in class, Draco suddenly looked up and caught her staring at him. Hermione froze. She was supposed to be adding three drops of murtlap essence to her cauldron. The vial hung suspended in her hand in the air above it. She sat there, staring across the dungeon into a pair of stormy gray eyes. They seemed to lack the malice they usually held when they skimmed over her. It seemed to Hermione that they were sad, and a little twinge of longing flashed across their murky depths. The thought that Draco Malfoy might long for her brought an unexpected flush to her cheeks. He blinked at her, and she thought he might have even smiled a little, but she was distracted by a sudden plume of midnight blue smoke erupting from the cauldron in front of her.

Professor Snape frowned in her direction, distaste etched on his face as he swept toward a very flustered, very embarrassed Hermione. She'd never messed up so furiously in Potions, or any of her classes for that matter. Hermione prided herself on her perfectionism. Blushing a deep scarlet, she only half-listened to Snape as he berated her for emptying the entire contents of the vial into her potion.

Hermione flicked her eyes over to Draco, though it was hard to see him through the low-hanging smoke. Professor Snape gave he one last sneer, before twitching his cloak, and crossing the room back to his desk. As the class gathered their things to leave, Harry and Ron muttered mutinously about Snape. Hermione waved them off, but was asked to stay back a few minutes by the Potions Master. Hermione noticed Draco casually drop some parchment on the floor. As he ducked under the desk to 'retrieve it', Snape asked Hermione what she'd been thinking putting the entire vial into her cauldron.

"I don't know. I was… distracted, I suppose. I didn't notice until it was too late. I'm very sorry Professor."

Snape scowled.

"See that it doesn't happen again, Miss Granger. Perhaps you should stop flirting with Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter and pay more attention to your studies."

An odd banging noise interrupted Hermione's stutters of outrage at the false and unfair accusations. Snape threw one last sneering glance at Hermione, then frowned as Draco came out from under his desk. Severus swept from the dungeon, leaving behind a very upset Hermione, and Draco rubbing a sore spot on his head.

"Say Granger? If you were flirting with Potter, why were you looking at me?" Draco teased. His words were mocking, although his tone was not. Hermione glared at him.

"The absolute idiocy of that statement astounds me!" She retorted hotly, "I was no more flirting with Harry as I was looking at you Malfoy!"

Draco raised one eyebrow in faux disbelief.

"Well, that's twice you've lied today." He smirked, "And your first contradicts the second."

Hermione laughed without humor.

"What are you going on about Malfoy?"

He tipped his head to one side, as if considering her question, and took a few sauntering steps closer to her. She watched him warily. Just because he'd gotten taller didn't mean that he's grown up. Draco Malfoy was handsome, but Hermione didn't trust him at all. He stopped when he was about a foot away. Though Hermione felt wary of him, she refused to step back and let him know just how uncomfortable he was making her.

"You weren't flirting with Potter, and you _were_ looking at me." It was not a question, but a statement made in a low voice completely devoid of his normal snide attitude. Hermione blinked at him once, then looked away.

"Why did you bother staying around while Snape spoke to me? You needed more to make fun of me?"

Draco looked at her seriously for a very long moment. When he didn't answer right away, she turned back to him. There was an odd, almost pained expression on his face. Hermione just let out a disgusted noise and rolled her eyes, gathering herself, and walking past him.

He reached out a hand and caught her arm. She shot him a glance, and he quickly let go. She waited a heartbeat longer for him to say something, but he simply stalked past her and out of the dungeons.


	4. Ch4: The First Night

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Potter World. Then I could fly on my broomstick of imagination through some beautiful countryside! It would be amazing, and I would be able to actually claim these guys as my own!_

Chapter 4: The First Night

Over the next few weeks, Draco was surprisingly quiet, at least in comparison to how he used to jeer at Hermione and her friends. He never sought the chance to pick a fight with Harry, and when Ron had dumped half of his pumpkin juice down the front of himself, Draco didn't even laugh. He just met Hermione's gaze, then looked away. It was possibly due to his unusual activity, or rather, lack thereof, that prompted Harry to burst into a frustrated tirade one night when the three of them were alone in the Common Room.

"Why hasn't he made a single move?" Hermione looked up from her book.

"Whom are you talking about?"

"Malfoy! He's being sneaky about something! Why else wouldn't he have tried something already? I mean, he didn't even laugh at Ron when he made a mess of himself at dinner!"

Ron looked embarrassed and sputtered in his own defense. When it appeared that he was not going to get anywhere with his arguments, he puzzled over Malfoy's behavior as well.

"What do you think he could be planning?"

Harry started pacing in front of the fire.

"I don't know, but this is Malfoy, so it has to be something really bad."

Hermione carefully marked her page, and then quietly closed the book she'd been trying to read.

"And why must you always assume the worst about him? Perhaps he's matured enough to know that the way you used to treat each other was silly and childish."

Two pairs of astonished eyes goggled at her. Hermione flushed slightly under their scrutiny.

"Are you mental?" Ron asked, sounding so much like his sister that it tempter Hermione to look around the Common Room for Ginny. Harry shook his head, then resumed his pacing.

"No, you're wrong Hermione. Malfoy is nothing worse than what I think he is! He's proved it himself, time and time again!"

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh.

"Harry, you only see the mean, arrogant side of him. You would probably believe him to be a Death Eater if he gave you the slightest inkling that it was true!"

Ron's eyes widened, then met Harry's bright green gaze, sick excitement written across their faces.

"That's it. Hermione, you're a genius!" Harry exclaimed, "Malfoy must have become a Death Eater in his father's place. I bet he's down there in the Slytherin dungeons planning something evil with his cronies!"

It was now Hermione's turn to goggle, as Ron and Harry began once again to malign Draco's character. She had hoped that her defense of Draco might have opened their minds to the possibility that he'd grown up over the summer. It would seem not, however. Frustrated with Harry's constant harping, and Ron ranting right along, she tossed down her book, and stalked from the Common Room. Since it was late, there were few people in the corridors.

_Not yet curfew._ Hermione noted, looking out the window, suddenly wistful for Harry's cloak, so she could take a walk on the moonlit grounds, consequences be damned. She began wandering down the hallways and staircases, intending to while away a few hours in the library. She quickly diverted her path, however, when she noticed Madam Pince ushering a group of chattering first years from Hermione's first idea of refuge.

Careening off her original course, she headed down a different corridor, then into a secret passage that would take her up a flight of stairs. When she got to the top of the passage, she heard the gong that signaled curfew. The sound was accompanied by the distant noise of shuffling feet and conversation. Hermione was not yet ready to return to the Common Room, and have to deal with Harry and Ron. She ducked down another hallway, and came face to face with a statue. It was the statue that was in the fifth floor hallway, she knew that, but as it was getting dark, Hermione couldn't quite make it out. She heard the soft padding of feet behind her, and turned to see a light coming down the hall right towards her. She quickly slipped into the nearest room, and closed the door quietly behind her. She took a deep breath and hoped that whoever had been there wouldn't follow her into the room. She needed to think, and having lots of people wouldn't help her mind to sort out all the thoughts currently racing through it.

She turned to find out where she'd ended up, and realized with a start that it was the Prefect's bathroom.

"How did I get in without the password?" She mused to herself. Shrugging out of her robes, and tossing them to one of the benches along the wall, she turned on one of the taps, smiling slightly as frothy purple bubbles poured out into the water. Enjoying their fragrance, she turned on a few more, to fill the tub faster, thinking that perhaps a bath would help settle her thoughts into something she could organize properly.

After the water filled high enough, Hermione shimmied out of her uniform, setting it neatly aside with her robes, and then slid into the warm, lavender-scented water with a sigh.

Hermione splashed around in the bubbles for a few moments before settling on one place and slowly treading water, while she thought.

_Draco is being so odd lately. I wonder why he's being so solemn. He doesn't seem to be doing well. He always seems so sad whenever I see him. I wish I knew what was going on with him._

She waded around for a little while longer, enjoying the serenity and peace of the bathroom. Her solitary calm was intruded upon though, quite suddenly by a clatter off to one side.

A lone figure was sitting up on one of the benches. It was apparent that they had been asleep there, lying in a shadowy area, that Hermione had not seen them when she came in. Fear gripped her when she realized that the bubbles were long since dissipated, and that if whoever else was in the room with her would be able to see her nude form under the water if they came close enough to the pool's edge.

She swam slowly back to the far end of the pool, closer to her clothing. The sound of the water splashing drew the attention of the person across the room. Standing up, they came closer, and out of the shadows.


	5. Ch5: Lifeguard on Duty

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Please stop asking if I do._

Chapter 5: Lifeguard on Duty

When Hermione saw who it was, she gasped and froze, momentarily forgetting that she was in water too deep for her to stand in. Her head slipped under the water, and she struggled to gather enough of her wits about her to reach the surface again. Forcing her arms to move through the deep water when she was already so surprised was difficult. She was also very aware that if she broke the water's surface, odds were pretty good that he was going to see her naked.

A hand plunged into the water above her, and grabbed a hold of her arm as it was flailing about. She was tugged rather forcefully from the pool, and dragged up out of danger. She found herself face to face with her rescuer, before she doubled over and began to cough up the lavender water she had swallowed. It may have smelled lovely, but it did _not_ taste as good. Her face was red, both from her coughing fit and from pure humiliation at being caught. Not only was she wandering around the school after hours, but she was found naked, indulging in a private swim by the last person on Earth she wanted to see her almost drown, much less actually have save her.

Her knees gave out, weak from the struggle and the coughing, and he caught her around the waist and half-guided, half-pulled her to the benches along the wall. He left her sitting there for a moment, and went to grab her a towel from the massive rack on the other side of the bathroom. He returned in almost an instant, making to drape the towel around her shoulders. He stopped when Hermione looked up into his gray eyes. They were cloudy with what Hermione thought was concern, although to see compassion in Draco Malfoy's expression was something very new to her.

He looked her over, very slowly, apparently realizing for the first time since he yanked her from the pool, that she was completely naked, and her wet hair was dripping and curling. Hermione blushed again, feeling the heat of his gaze rove over her, and she reached for the towel still held in his hand. Her hand brushed against his when she tried to remove the towel from his grasp, and his eyes shot back up to her face again. Now the clouds were gone, and were replaced with a full-blown tempest. Their silvery depths seemed to want to convey an emotion that scared Hermione slightly, but then he blinked, and gave her the towel, stepping back.

Hurriedly, Hermione wrapped the soft, fluffy terry cloth around her exposed body in an act of belated modesty. He was still staring at her though, and the silence was beginning to kill her more than the water might have. Licking her lips nervously, she rasped,

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Are you all right?"

His concern startled her again, and she stammered out,

"Y-yes, I think so. You- took me by surprise, I guess."

He watched her carefully for another moment, then seemed to think that she would be fine. He took another step backwards, away from her, and the light fell halfway across his handsome face. To Hermione, it was as if the room was telling her something. His features were half in light, half in shadow, and the look in his eyes seemed almost haunting in the strange lighting. It was just as Hermione would have pictured Draco's soul. Torn between two sides, and neither one at ease with the other.

They were watching each other intently, and Draco was increasingly aware that now that he'd seen her naked, there was no way he'd be able to ever see her otherwise again. She looked so uncomfortable though, and he knew that he should leave, and let her get dressed. Then again, Draco had never been much of a gentleman when it came to that. Instead he tried to tease her out of her discomfort. He'd love to see her get mad while she was still wet. It would be quite the sight.

"Not much of a swimmer, are you?"

She wiped her face off with the corner of the towel that she clung to, like _it _had just saved her life.

"Not really, no."

Her flat response drew him to take a step closer to her. It looked to him as though she was truly afraid of drowning. Not that he would have let it happen. Just because he wasn't a gentleman, didn't mean he wanted her dead either. Especially not in a place where he was the only other person, and quite likely to have been blamed for the accident. Although, according to her account, he _was_ to blame for it, as he had startled her in the first place.

The silence between them was deafening, and Hermione was starting to shiver. Her hair was wet, she was cold, and all she wanted was for him to leave her alone, so she could get dressed, and then go to bed and forget this ever happened. Of course, he might tell people the second she left him alone, and she really didn't want that to happen.

"You startled me." She repeated, trying to convince herself it was all right to talk, and part of her

wanted to make sure that he would keep her secret.

"You already said that." He replied, though his tone said that he wouldn't be apologizing any time soon.

She swallowed hard. She was going to have to ask him to not tell anyone, and the thought was a difficult one to conquer. Yet the fear that he would humiliate her with his knowledge was more than enough to give her the strength to look him in the eye.

"You're not going to tell anyone about this, are you?"

Her voice quavered halfway through her sentence, and Draco couldn't figure out if it was fear or cold that caused her to tremble. He hadn't planned on telling anyone, but if she was that worried about it, then there must have been some reason for her asking. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why shouldn't I? You're a Prefect, sneaking around the castle at night, and hiding out in the bathroom."

Her eyes clouded with fear for only a second, before they began to burn. It was amazing, seeing her get so angry in such a little amount of time, but fear did that to some people.

"So? You are here too! A Prefect, wandering about after curfew, and you were in the bathroom as well!"

Hermione shook with outrage. Her thoughts, already so unsettled, swirled madly about her head, like a swarm of angry bees. _He wouldn't, no, couldn't possibly tell!_ she thought _It would get him into just as much trouble!_

Draco smiled slightly. She was beautiful when she was angry. The smile vanished when he realized what he'd thought. Hermione Granger was NOT supposed to be beautiful to him! Although, perhaps it would be fun to see just how far she was willing to go to make him keep her little secret.

"You know as well as I do, Granger, that I don't care if I get in trouble. After all, you are the one with the Miss Perfect reputation."

She flushed a becoming pink at the words 'Miss Perfect'. That confused him, but he would think about that later. Right now he was playing with her, and that was all the distraction he needed. He was still uncomfortably aware of her nudity under her towel, and it was growing to be a problem, as the towel got soaked from her hair, and molded itself to her figure.

"You don't want me to tell anyone? You'll just have to make sure that I don't then." He issued this in a challenging voice, daring her to ask him how. He was pleased when she shivered again, and then asked him,

"How am I supposed to do that?"

He grinned.

"You'll just have to keep an eye on me, won't you? You've already been watching me all the time, but I suppose now you'll just have to spend all that time listening to me instead."

She gulped. _Listen to him?_ That would mean that she would have to be near enough to hear his conversations, almost all the time. It would require her to spend long hours in his company, and then distract him if he got close to spilling.

"What about classes? I can't just show up at a Slytherin class, being a Gryffindor!"

Her thoughtful tone made him stop for a second. She was actually thinking about this? She was taking him seriously? Either she was more afraid of something than he'd originally thought, or she...but, no...that would be crazy. The thought that Hermione would actually _want_ to spend time with him was simply out of the question.

"Well, I will give you my word that I won't tell anyone when you're not around. After all, it lacks the same, shall we say, embarrassment factor if I can't see you turn red."

Even as he spoke, there was a certain relief that crossed her features. It was obvious that it was fear driving her now. _Very well,_ he thought, _If she's that afraid, I'm going to make this worth my while._

"Of course, you'll need to think of some way to explain why you're always hanging around me. Good luck with that." He chuckled darkly, though to him it seemed forced. He didn't really want to push this with her, but since she was going to take him seriously, there was little he could do. He turned around, intending to leave her to her clothing and thoughts.

"Wait...Draco, please."

Her soft voice caught him, as did her use of his first name, and he looked at her. She was still trembling, looking for all the world like the lost kitten that he'd pulled out of the river when he was five. She had the same terrified, yet grateful look he'd seen in the cat's brown eyes, and he didn't even think about it. He simply walked right up to her, and gathered her in his arms. Just like he had done for the kitten, he stroked her soft, damp hair, and murmured to her softly. Then, unlike with the cat, he tipped her head up and kissed her. She gasped into his mouth, and it took him a second to realize that not only was she kissing him back, but she had let go of the towel in order to wrap her arms around his neck.

Prying himself away from her wet, clinging form, he only glanced at her once, before leaving in a hurry.

The door shut behind him, and Hermione took a deep shuddering breath. She didn't know what had come over her just now. Why had she pressed herself against him? Why had she even allowed him to kiss her in the first place? Quickly drying off the rest of the way, she scurried into her clothes, and made for the door. As she reached for the handle, she realized that she had her fingers pressed to her lips. They were still warm and a little tingly from his kiss, and she felt a shower of that warmth cover her from head to foot, remembering how wonderful he had felt. With one last look at the place where she had experienced something unique and thrilling, she closed the door to the Prefect's bathroom, and went up to bed.


	6. Ch6: Breaking at Breakfast

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, settings, etc. I do, however, have a flying aardvark pet. Her name is Artemis._

Chapter 6: Breaking at Breakfast

Hermione woke up early the next morning, in spite of her late night. She couldn't sleep very well anyway. Her dreams had been filled with images of Draco kissing her, and her entire body tingled now at the remembrance of him pressed against her. She had to stick to him like glue today. Lucky for her, it was Friday. The Slytherins had Double Potions with the Gryffindors today, and then she had the entire weekend to try and convince Draco not to tell anyone about her late night jaunt. She didn't think she could handle the humiliation if everyone were to find out that "Miss Perfect" couldn't swim, and broke the rules that she strived so hard to enforce.

Quickly getting dressed, she shuffled down to the Common Room, realizing that it was very early indeed. Figuring it to be about 7 in the morning, Hermione decided she would wander down to the Great Hall, and get an early start on breakfast. Since she doubted anyone else would be up yet, it would be safe to sit and relax for a few moments before she had to dog Draco for the rest of the day as best as she could.

When she reached the Entry Hall, she was surprised to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall next to the door to the Great Hall. He was looking quite dashing in his green-lined robes, and the black of it seemed to set his pale complexion off to a great advantage. Hermione couldn't believe that she was noticing how incredibly good-looking he was, especially since she had decided on her way downstairs that he was only toying with her. _He probably only kissed me because he knew I couldn't stop him_. She thought viciously.

He straightened when he saw her. Then he did something very odd. He smiled at her. Not the usual arrogant smirk he wore, or even the malicious, cruel grin she'd seen him employ on occasion. No, this was an actual smile, and it was her initial reaction to smile back, before she could help herself. He walked a few steps towards her, then stopped and looked over her shoulder. Hermione turned, and saw a second-year Ravenclaw girl she only sort of recognized was coming down the stairs. When the newcomer realized that Hermione was watching her, and that she was obviously being waited on for the interaction between Draco and Hermione to continue, she turned pink, and then scurried into the Great Hall like a frightened mouse.

"Apparently, your reputation precedes you." Hermione told Draco, waspishly. His smile faded when he got a better look at her. She looked pale, and drawn. Something about the way she was studiously avoiding his direct gaze told him she had been thinking about him recently. He couldn't quite figure out what it was about her pale cheeks and dark eyes that got to him, but there was something vaguely familiar about the feeling. He stepped next to her, then placing a finger under her chin, lifted her eyes to his. There were slight shadows there. Obviously, she wasn't used to not sleeping through the night. He frowned at her, then quickly stepped away when he heard the commotion of oncoming students preparing to file into the Great Hall for breakfast.

"I certainly hope that you thought of a good reason for you to be with me all the time." He told her, keeping his voice pitched low. She blinked at his sudden change in demeanor. For a second, she would have sworn that he was going to kiss her again. But just like that, the magic was broken, and he resumed his stance a good foot away from her.

"My reason is as good as any that I can come up with on no sleep!" She shot back, her voice low, but audible to him. He raised an eyebrow, obviously waiting for her to inform him.

"You're failing Transfiguration, and you need my help!" She told him, then smartly turned on her heel and stalked into the Great Hall with a crowd of hungry students. He caught up to her in the middle of the throng of people, and whispered into her ear,

"Not likely, but when you have your toast, feel free to join me outside."

When she turned her head to face him, she thought she felt a ghost of a touch along her cheek, but then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd as easily as she had. Frustrated and confused, Hermione sat down on the bench next to Ginny with a thump. Neville looked up from his cereal.

"Something wrong, 'Mione? You don't look so good."

"I'm all right. I just had a late night, that's all." Hermione sighed; glad to see that Neville's concern was real and that _he _wasn't just toying with her head. She shot a nasty glare at the back of Draco's head from across the room. It looked like he was chatting it up with Pansy again. At least, she thought he was, since she kept touching him, and laughing in that high-pitched shriek that she thought was a coquette-like sounding giggle. Neville seemed to understand, and went back to his meal. Ginny looked her over though. When Fred and George came to sit down to eat, Ginny used it as an excuse to lean into Hermione and whisper,

"What's the matter, honestly? You look like someone put a hex on you."

"I'm fine, Gin, don't worry about me. I was just up late studying." Hermione couldn't quite meet her friend's eyes as she lied to her. Ginny noticed.

"No, you didn't. You left the Common Room before curfew, and didn't come back until well after. Ron told me when you stormed out. Well, he didn't say you stormed out, he said that you threw down your book, and went for a walk. But I know you better than that. So, what's going on?"

Hermione was saved from having to give an answer when Harry sat down across from Ginny, and started talking to her. Ron sat across from Hermione, and was watching her with an intense stare, as if he was trying to make her head explode. She already had a headache, and didn't need him poking through her business this early in the morning. Grabbing a napkin and throwing a couple slices of buttered toast into it, she got up and practically ran to the door, and outside into the early morning air.


	7. Ch7: Duels with a Dragon

_Disclaimer: I don't own it…if I did Draco would only ever wear leather pants, and Hermione would have bushy hair in the films! The only thing I own is an incredibly creative imagination, and flair with words._

Chapter 7: Duels with a Dragon

Draco saw her leave, and he wanted to follow her right away, but thought that it might cause suspicion to see Draco Malfoy following Hermione Granger out onto the Grounds this early in the morning. It was already after 7 am, and people would most likely be leaving to gather their things for class in a few minutes. He'd simply slip out with the first big crush of people. When it arrived next to his table, he stood, and muttered some lame excuse to Pansy, who looked like she was going to spend the rest of the day wither bothering him, or pouting. He only hoped that if she decided to pout that she did so well away from him. Her teasing and advances had been humorous to him once, but now they were just starting to get on his nerves. Her displeasure, however, was even worse, as it was usually accompanied by an expression that made her look rather like she'd sucked on a lemon. Not at all attractive.

He found her under the tree next to the lake, staring out at the glassy smooth surface of the water. Her back was turned to him, but she must have heard his approach, because when he sat next to her, she didn't even move.

"Are you really going to tell people that I can't swim?" she murmured. Her toast lay uneaten in her lap, and Draco grabbed a piece for himself. He thought of an answer that would allow him to keep her near to him and still allay her fears.

"I could. I hadn't really thought of telling anyone you couldn't swim. I was just going to mock you for being a hypocrite." He chewed on the toast, thinking that it would have been better warm, but it was a cool October morning, and things grew chilled rather quickly in the open air. Hermione just go to her feet, and then looked down at him with an almost forlorn and very resigned expression.

"Very well. If I have to stay close to you to make sure you don't tell anyone either of those things, then I will do as best as I can without causing too much suspicion. After all, I can hardly stroll around the castle with you without it being an issue, now can I?"

She looked so unhappy, Draco had a sudden thought. Her pale features, made more so by her habit of spending long hours in the library, and lack of sleep, had reminded him of his mother. Was he putting her in an uncomfortable position where fear drove her life? Had he done to her what his father's mistakes had done to his mother? For the first time in as long as he could remember, Draco felt a strange twinge of pity. He stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, ready to call it all off so he could see the smile return to her face. She stared up into his eyes, confusion clouding her own. He licked his lips, and leaned in with the intent of kissing away her sad look when someone exclaimed from behind him.

"Oi! Malfoy! Get your hands off her!" Ron, very red-eared, was followed closely by Harry who had a thunderous expression on his face. Hermione was shocked to see Ginny trailing along behind the two boys, her obvious attempt at slowing them down failing horribly.

Harry and Ron drew their wands, even though Draco had dropped his hand away from Hermione's shoulder.

"Don't do anything stupid Potter. You don't want to upset your girlfriend anymore than you already are."

Ginny blushed furiously at Draco's calmly spoken remark. Harry aimed his wand at Draco's chest, although his opponent had yet to draw his own.

"She is _not_ my girlfriend!" Harry told him, and Ginny rounded on Harry with a nasty glare. Ron looked suddenly awkward, and caught in the middle of a brewing tempest. He glanced between Ginny, Harry, and Hermione before settling on Draco, who seemed to be trying to communicate silently with Hermione's profile. Ginny was now fired up and shouting at Harry.

"You don't need to say it with such a disgusted tone!" Harry fumbled for a response, then glared at Draco when he sniggered.

"It seems you have your hands full," Draco commented dryly, then looked pointedly at Hermione, "We will finish this later."

"Like hell you will!" Ron scoffed. He brandished his wand at his pale-haired foe. The look of bored distaste Draco gave him reminded Hermione that he was a Slytherin, and therefore ruthless and cunning, but also self-serving. Hermione was torn. If she defended Ron, Draco would surely tell everyone about her. Yet if she stood up for Draco, Ron and Harry, perhaps even Ginny, might hate her forever. In the end, the choice was taken from her hands.

"What are you going to do, Weasley, hex me?" Harry reacted first to Draco's taunt, and fired a shot that thrust Draco backward into the tree that only minutes before he and Hermione had been about to kiss beneath. Hermione gave a little shriek when Draco got up and produced his own wand. He pointed it at Harry. His spell hit his intended target, and Harry was flattened, sprawled across the grass.

Ginny and Ron tried to jinx Draco at the same time, but their spells met mid-air and bounced off one another. One dug into the dirt at Draco's feet, the other hitting Hermione in the stomach. She gave a great cry of pain, and they all stopped to watch her crumple to the ground. Her wand fell out of her robes onto the grass in front of her. Draco was the first to get to her, his eyes searching, trying to see how much she hurt. Ron was outraged when Draco placed a gentle hand on her stomach. He aimed for a well-placed hex, but Hermione instinctively muttered,

"Protego!" Her shield spell protected Draco, and it put a barrier between her Gryffindor friends, and her pale Slytherin one. She pushed away Draco's hand, aware of it's warmth that seemed to permeate past her robes and sear her flesh. Carefully, she got to her feet, as Professor McGonagall came storming up to them.

"What on Earth is going on here?"

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Draco each tried to explain at once, but McGonagall held up a hand and they all fell silent. She looked at Hermione, who was not feeling at all well, and seemed to be either on the verge of fainting or throwing up.

"Miss Granger, kindly remove this shield." Professor McGonagall was obviously very upset, judging from how thinly pressed her lips were. Hermione gave a feeble twitch of her wand, and her charm evaporated. Ginny rushed to her side, and cautiously wrapped an arm about Hermione's waist. Draco looked disappointedly as Hermione sagged slightly against her friend, before taking a deep breath and straightening again, though not enough to allow Ginny to release her.

"My office, now, all of you." McGonagall led the way across the Grounds to the front door of the castle. Hermione leaned on Ginny carefully, and Harry kept shooting dark glares at Draco as he limped after them. Ron followed silently, trying to sort out his own thoughts, and Draco simply ignored them all, intently staring straight ahead.


	8. Ch8: Special Attentions

_Disclaimer: Don't bother asking…if I did things would be different. For example there would be an entire mini-series all about The Adventures of the Amazing Bouncing Ferret!_

A/N: I would like to thank all of you who have so kindly been offering your opinions on my story! It really means a lot to me to hear what you all have to think! Special thanks goes to my repeat reviewers, -Loveth Draco, breezie, and RunForTheHills! Also, a shoutout to Lady PenDragon, who is known to me by another source, and I love her very much for taking the time to write me a well-rounded review! Yes, I will be making the chapters longer:-) MrssJW

Chapter 8: Special Attentions

Professor McGonagall gave Harry, Ron, Draco and Ginny each a week of detention. Hermione only received three days worth. This was due to the fact that the other four had testified that Hermione had only been a bystander in the duel. Even Draco had protested at Hermione receiving any detention at all, but Professor McGonagall informed him, that while she may not have used any offensive spells, as the others had, Hermione was still a Prefect, and therefore it was her duty to put a stop to any fights that may break out when there were no teachers around.

Hermione accepted that, and was surprised when she did not receive the same sentence as her peers. They would all meet Mr. Filch tomorrow evening after dinner, in the trophy room to serve their first night.

When they were released from McGonagall's office, they hurriedly split up and rushed to their varied classes. Yet, when it came time for Potions that afternoon, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco found themselves waiting together in the corridor. Since Harry and Ron were already going to be missing one Quidditch Practice, and did not want to give Draco the satisfaction of making them miss anymore, they carefully avoided him.

Draco, however, tucked himself into a shadowy niche and beckoned to Hermione. Cautiously, she edged closer, trying to make it appear as if she was just stretching her legs. When she was standing in front of him, she rifled through her book bag, pretending to look for something.

"What do you want, Draco?" she whispered. Hermione was very aware that the corridors were relatively small, and that while they were doing a very good job of not looking in their direction, Ron and Harry could still hear her if she was not careful.

"I wanted to know how you were feeling." Under the cover of the shadow he was standing in, Hermione couldn't quite see his face, but she somehow sensed that he was watching her very closely. She brushed a stray hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"I'm fine, thank you. Madame Pomfrey made sure that nothing was broken, and gave me a potion for the pain." The door to the Potions classroom opened and Professor Snape scowled out at them in his general dour manner. Harry and Ron were ushered into the classroom, and their fellow students began to push past Hermione. As she started to move, she heard a whisper of a noise, and then found herself pulled into the same shadowy outcropping as Draco. The area was not very large, and she was pulled up close against him. In the bad lighting he looked like a translucent ghost, all paleness and air in comparison to the darkened stone wall behind them. Before she realized what was happening, he had pressed his lips fiercely down on hers in a searing kiss.

Hermione gave a tiny squeak of surprise, then gave into the sensations he was igniting in her. Fire coursed across her lips where they touched his, and her hand crept up to his hair of its own accord. He had a hand tightly against her hip, and he grabbed her closer still, until they were as closely entwined as they had been the night before. He kissed her with a feverish passion, as if he couldn't help himself, and she didn't mind one bit. She, herself, was having a difficult time gathering enough courage to pull away. Hermione didn't want to stop him, yet on some level she knew that they would be missed in the classroom. Almost as soon as she thought it, Draco seemed to edge back. He carefully disengaged himself from her, and stared down at her, slightly out of breath. He brushed a stray hair away from her face, and tucked it behind her ear. The he smiled at her, like he'd just been awarded 200 House Points, and walked away, into the classroom.

Frazzled, and beyond confused by his demeanor, Hermione hurried after him, and claimed a seat. Too late she realized that the only open chair had been right next to Ron, who watched her suspiciously throughout the entire class.

Hermione did her best not to get distracted by Draco and their kiss, and spent the entire lesson muttering the proper way to brew the draught that was supposed to cure many symptoms of a head cold. They both turned out of the lesson without having a single thing explode, which was more than could be said for Goyle, who nearly set his own robes on fire when he turned the flames under his cauldron up too high too quickly. Harry approached their table after the lesson was over to speak to them.

"We've got to see if the rest of the Team can do a quick practice tonight instead of the lengthy one we had planned tomorrow. I'd move the time up, but Katie has lines with McGonagall. She said something about a runaway parrot-pot. So, Hermione, would you mind taking mine and Ron's stuff back up to the Tower? We've got to gather the rest of the Team now if there's any hope of us fitting in time on the Pitch."

Ron looked excited at the prospect of still getting to fly that weekend, and Hermione nodded, not really paying attention to what Harry had said. She soon found herself staggering under the weight of three book bags, and she was very surprised to see Draco waiting for her in the Entry Hall when she came back down from depositing the school supplies in their respective dormitories.

"I thought you might like to take a walk with me tonight." He told her. Hermione stared at him. Grabbing him by the hand, she dragged him into the same closet that she and Harry had hid in their third year. She closed the door on the currently empty hall outside.

"Lumos." She whispered, lighting her wand and then turned on Draco in the semi-dark.

"Draco, what do you want?" She scream-whispered, exasperated. "I thought you only wanted to torment me and lord this whole secret thing over my head. So, why then are you trying to kiss me at every turn, and not blasting Harry and Ron to pieces, and- and – being nice to me?!?"

Draco chuckled quietly, and moved a stray hair out of Hermione's eyes. She shook her head and three more of her rebellious follicles fell into her face. Frustrated, Hermione pushed her hair back. Draco just laughed again.

"Stop laughing at me and answer the question!" He did her the service of not laughing again while she wrestled with her hair one-handed, the other still holding her wand. The light bounced around the tiny closet, and made funny shadows on the walls.

"Would you have preferred me to blast Potter and Weasley to pieces? I didn't think you were that bloodthirsty Granger."

She blushed, though in the half-light it was difficult to see it.

"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous. I don't want Harry and Ron hurt anymore than I do-" she stopped herself. The end of the sentence, and what it meant, hit her like no spell ever could. She swayed a little, and Draco put out a hand to steady her.

"As for this secret thing, I had never thought to, how did you put it, 'lord it over your head', I was only going to tease you about it." She gaped at him.

"Then why the _hell_ are you putting me through this misery and frustration?"

He looked a little sheepish, but it was only for a second, before he responded.

"I thought it would be a good way for you to spend time with me." _If her eyes popped anything further from her head_ he thought, _they'd fall on the floor._ He pushed on, knowing that the one thing he hadn't answered yet was the one thing that he both looked forward to and dreaded telling her.

"And I can't help being nice to you."

"Why not? I suppose you're going to tell me next that you fancy me!" She scoffed at him, and folded her arms across her chest. He flushed slightly. When she realized what she had said, and that he wasn't immediately jumping on the defensive, she turned white. Whiter than the bouncing ferret that he had been transfigured in their fourth year. She suddenly felt very light-headed and the stunning thought that Draco Malfoy might actually fancy her struck her like lightning. Without another word to him, she burst from the closet, much to the surprise of the students milling around in the Entry Hall just before dinner. She bolted up the stairs and tried to escape the cloying ideas that were trapping her mind. She heard him call after her once, but she yelled over her shoulder,

"Just leave me alone Malfoy! I don't want you anywhere near me!" As she ran on, she heard his footsteps behind her stop, but she didn't stop to think, she just ran onward.

Careening around the corner, she came face to face with Ginny as she was climbing into the portrait hole. Ginny took one look at Hermione's stricken face, and she grabbed her by the hand, pulling her into the Common Room along with her. Ginny kept pulling Hermione up the stairs, past the curious looks of the other Gryffindors and up to the room that Ginny shared with the other girls in her year. Once there, she set Hermione down on the bed, and stared expectantly at her. Hermione did not disappoint.

"Oh Gin! Why did I do it? Why did I let him get to me in such a way?" Hermione practically wailed, tears forming in her eyes at the horrible mess she'd gotten herself into. Ginny forced herself to take a deep breath, and then asked,

"'Mione, what happened? Who got to you?"

"I was such a fool to think I could handle being around him! I thought he hated me, and I was safe from my own feelings, but now I come to find out that he actually _likes_ me…and I can't get away from him fast enough!" She buried her face in her hands and gave a shattering sob. Ginny sat on the bed next to her.

"You know, Ron may be a little thick, but he's not as stupid as I thought him to be." Hermione looked up at her friend.

"I'm not talking about Ron, Ginny. Oh no, it's much worse than that!" Her face went back into her palms.

"Hermione, Ron and I have been talking. He has a theory as to why you've been acting so strange, especially these past couple days." Ginny's only answer was another pair of sobs. She sighed, then continued.

"He thinks you may be taking a fancy to a certain Slytherin." Several sobs. "Ron says that you've been staring off into space a lot lately, and I can't deny that I've seen you eyeing him from across the room. And then this morning, when you put up the shield. It was a dead giveaway. Even Harry noticed something, though he only mentioned it in passing to me."

Hermione wouldn't look up from her hands, and she was still crying, her hysteria now causing her to shake almost violently, as all the years of pent-up emotion came bursting forth.

"Mione, we all think that you are in love with Draco Malfoy." At the mention of his name, Hermione gave a muffled scream and slumped into the bed, giving way completely to the tears that seemed to have overtaken her. Ginny could see it was no use talking to her when she was this worked up. She patted her shoulder, then excused herself.

"I'll be back in a bit. Please try to remember to breathe."

As she left, Hermione curled herself into a fetal position and gave herself the chance to cry.

_A/N: There will be leather pants in Draco Malfoy's future, FEAR NOT! I have not forgotten thee!_


	9. Ch9: The Woes of Hermione Granger

_**Disclaimer: Why bother suing me for something I don't own? It's not like I have anything you really want. Jo is a genius and we can all learn something from her example!**_

_A/N: I have a few things that I need to address before allowing you to read the rest of this chapter:) If you want, you could always just scroll down, but I'm answering a few things that have been questioned, so here it is!_

_To Mary: Yes, I know that in HBP Slughorn teaches potions. However, I had started writing this fan fiction years ago, before I read HBP. I updated some of the stuff, but I thought that the whole Potions class scene wouldn't have worked the same if it had been Slughorn. He's not as, well, Snape-ish._

_To onamsoundstage: Yes, Hermione is crying. She's got a lot on her mind, and that's the best way for her to work past her pain in this case. Haven't you ever wanted to burst into tears out of sheer frustration and confusion? That's sort of how Hermione feels._

_To everyone who reviewed Chapter 8: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I always love to see that my work is enjoyed, and the leather pants are only a few days away... then again, a lot can happen in a few days! ;)_

_I also really appreciate how everyone seems to like my portrayal of the characters. I've been trying to keep them as IN Character as possible, while still allowing for certain scenarios to adjust their temperments. It's very difficult working with Hermione and Draco, especially since they're both so darn stubborn! But alas, they will conform to my ideas at some point, or be doomed to incomplete status forever! (I'm just kidding, I don't think I could put this story away without closure, I'm having too much fun writing it!)_

_Hugs and Cookies!  
MrssJW_

**Chapter 9: The Woes of Hermione Granger**

When Ginny returned she found Hermione sitting up on the bed, looking tired and worn out, but obviously a little better for having shed all her tears. She handed her a bottle of butterbeer. When Hermione looked at her strangely, Ginny explained.

"I had the twins make an emergency run to the kitchens for you. I thought you might be hungry." Ginny offered a plate full of soft, buttered scones, a favorite of Hermione's. Thanking her weakly, Hermione nibbled on a scone, and washed it down with a small sip of butterbeer. Ginny was watching her carefully.

"I'm sorry about that. I was more upset than I realized." Hermione apologized. Ginny waved it off, saying simply,

"Love is like that." Hermione looked at her friend, for the first time realizing that Ginny was not a little girl anymore. She wondered if a certain other person had noticed it yet as well.

"I think I love him Ginny. What do I do?" Ginny sighed in reply, and helped herself to a scone.

"Well, it's going to cause a stir when you tell Ron and Harry. Harry is determined to hate Draco, although maybe I can talk to him. Ron is just going to be crushed. He was hoping that his theory would be proved false."

"Why is that?" Hermione looked puzzled, and Ginny gave her a look of reproach.

"Because he didn't want you to get involved with Draco. He- well, he had hoped that you would fall for him, actually." Hermione was shocked.

Yes, Ron had always been there for her, and there had been plenty of times last year when she and Ron had been left together while Harry was off being moody and full of wizard angst, but she could not imagine him being at all attracted to her. She'd always been that best friend/sister type to him. She thought of him and Harry both as the brothers that she wished she had.

"Is Ron- what I mean to say is, does Ron have feelings for me?" Ginny nodded solemnly.

"But he loves you more as a friend than anything else, and he just wants you to be happy. I think that if it's explained to Harry is such a way, he might come around too. That is, if you even want to be with Draco. What happened 'Mione?"

"A lot has happened, and it's all been so fast."

Hermione took a deep breath, then began to tell Ginny about her thoughts of Draco, and how he'd looked sad and pale. Of how she had gone wandering the other night, and been thinking in the Prefect's bathroom, then _sinking_ in the Prefect's bathroom. She told Ginny how Draco had pulled her out, and kissed her, then left her with more wondering than she had had before. Ginny learned that Hermione had been hoping that Draco would kiss her again, only this morning when they'd been interrupted by the duel. How Hermione had been at odds with the situation, unsure of where to stand in its midst. Then she told Ginny about the kiss before Potions, and then the whole dramatic happening in the closet downstairs.

When Hermione was done unraveling her tale, she sat in silence, staring at the plate of scones as if it were a Penseive and going to help reveal the mysteries of her thoughts and feelings. Ginny broke the silence after a minute of thinking through what Hermione had shared.

"Did he ever give you any indication that this was all a game to him? That he was only doing this to make you miserable?"

"Well, not all together. He definitely played it off as if he would tell everyone that I had been breaking school rules and am a tragically horrible swimmer. I didn't want it to get around the school, and you know how well these students can keep a secret."

Ginny rolled her eyes, _very_ aware of the loose tongues that her classmates had. Gossip at Hogwarts flew faster than Harry on his Firebolt in pursuit of the Snitch. There was no doubt that rumors were already flying from the way Hermione described her flight from Draco. The mere fact that they were seen coming out of the closet with one another, by no less than five students was enough to assure Ginny that the Great Hall would be abuzz with the affair in the morning.

"Hermione…" Ginny ventured, "What do you feel for him? Tell me honestly."

Hermione knew a moment of pause as she assessed her feelings for Draco Malfoy. Her heart beat a rapid tattoo at the thought of him, but she also was cautious as to his real reasoning behind his treatment of her. She wanted to love him, her heart was saying it was so, but her mind, that rational logical part of her, overrode her emotions for the time-being and told her that she was not yet ready.

"I am quite certain," Hermione began, "That I do not know what to think of him. There is a part of me that wants to run down the Slytherin dungeons and throw myself into his embrace. Yet there is a bigger, _louder_ part of me that says I am safer staying away from him." Her mind made up, Hermione looked up into Ginny's face with a new resolve.

"I will put him from my mind. I don't need to tax myself with thoughts of him, as he is obviously going to make a mockery of me now that I have not upheld my half of the bargain we struck. I refuse to be in his company and therefore he will more than likely tell everyone that I am not as perfect as they thought I was."

She drew a deep breath, secure in her decision. She straightened her shoulders, and tried on a small smile. Ginny saw Hermione pull herself together right before her very eyes. Shoulders went back, and her head held itself up. In the space of only a few seconds, Hermione had gathered herself together. She picked up a scone, and quite happily enough bit into it as if she had not a care in the world.

Ginny was amazed. This was the person who only an hour ago was distraught and inconsolable. Now it was as if a curtain of general cheer had fallen over Hermione's demeanor, and the contrast was startling.

Ginny was glad that she could see her friend appear happy again, but she doubted highly that she was truly happy. Hermione smiled widely at Ginny again, although Ginny thought she sensed the tremble in Hermione lips before she fixed her smile firmly in place.

Hermione leaned in closer to Ginny, and gave a rather forced sounding laugh, then said,

"So you've been talking to Harry quite a bit, have you?"

_A/N: Ok, so this one is shorter, but it really had a lot of thinking and emotion in it, and I was trying to finish it before I went to bed. I should know better than to start writing before bedtime. I always got so caught up in it. After I finished this chapter, I went to lay down, but my brain was still with Hermione and Draco, and so I ended up writing two more chapters before they would let me get to sleep! The new ones will be up shortly, as soon as I'm done proofing and editing them._


	10. Ch10: Dungeons and Dragons

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah…does anyone really read these things anyway?_

_A/N: Thank you again to the many wonderful readers who cared enough to review.  
I love you with all of my writer's knowledge and fanatical heart!_

Chapter 10: Dungeons and Dragons

Draco paced back and forth in front of the fire in the Slytherin Common Room. He'd messed things up with Hermione, he knew it on some level, but he still wasn't sure what had gone wrong. Things had been going so great, and he thought that she really liked him. Now she was literally running from him, and telling him she didn't want to have him anywhere near her.

"What went wrong?" He exclaimed to himself. The two Slytherin third-year girls who had been watching him pensively jolted, then ran for their dormitory as Draco stormed around the Common Room. He didn't know what to think, and this thing with Hermione was throwing him completely off. He used to be so sure of himself, confident in his every gesture, but now…now it was different. She'd changed him somehow. That was it! Something about the way she was when she was with him made him want to stop and think. It made him want to spend time getting to know her, and making her smile. He had heard her laugh once, walking down the corridor in front of him, and the sound had been infectious, making him want to laugh right along with her.

She was all wrong for him, he knew that. There was plenty of evidence that she would not be warmly welcomed if he ever decided to introduce her to his parents. And her life would be in danger if the Dark Lord did rise again. She was one of the people that Draco should stay far away from. The one person who he should not be falling for.

The thought struck him like a brick to the head. Was he falling in love with Hermione? It couldn't be. He shook his head, both in denial and in the attempt to clear the thought. He couldn't take this anymore, he was going to drive himself mad with all this thinking to himself. He needed to talk to someone. The problem was, the person he wanted to talk to the most was also the one who didn't want to talk to him.

An idea came to him at some point during the night. He _would_ talk to someone. Hopefully, that someone would be understanding, and not become crazed when he told them about his thoughts and feelings for Hermione Granger. The only question now was, how to get to them?

He kneeled in front of the fire grate in the Slytherin Common Room. His fellow students had gone off to breakfast, and while they were milling around the Great Hall, Draco used the opportunity to talk to the one person whom he thought he could trust to be there for him. She always had been.

He threw the Floo powder in the fire, and shouted, "Malfoy Manor!" His head felt like it was spinning, but at least this time it was because of the Floo powder, and not the thoughts that had plagued him throughout the night. When he stopped, he was looking into his mother's sitting room. It adjoined her bedroom, and she was sitting in a chair by the little tea table, reading a letter. There was a silver tray of what was most obviously her breakfast, though it had not been touched. Draco hoped that it was simply because it had just arrived, and therefore she had not started, rather than her not eating it at all.

It took her a moment to realize that he was there. In that moment, it gave him a chance to look his mother over thoroughly. She was still thin, he'd guess thinner than when he'd been home even. He worried for her, and he felt his heart give an odd pang when she looked up from her letter and saw him there.

Her face was drawn and pale, and the shadows under her eyes seemed to have become permanent. She had the same tread-upon look that Hermione had worn yesterday morning, and he knew now why it had affected him to see it then. She had reminded him of his mother.

"Draco!" Her surprise was evident, and while she at first looked very happy to see him, it gave way almost immediately to concern. She got up from her table, and came to kneel in front of his face in the fireplace.

"What's going on? What are you doing here so early? Is something wrong?" Her instant anxiety over him triggered something in him, and he looked up into the clear blue eyes of his mother. Before he realized what he was saying, he began telling her all about how he had fallen for "her" and he couldn't make tops from bottoms of the whole situation. That it was all "her" fault that he couldn't sleep last night, and how "she" had invaded his mind and left him wondering what it all meant.

His mother gave him a small smile, then asked for clarification.

"What do you mean, clarification?" He responded, confused.

"Well, Draco, I'm sure that this girl is lovely. She would have to be in order to have captured your attentions so completely. Yet I have no idea as to whom you might be talking about."

"You'd love her mum, if you gave her a chance. She's smart, and funny, and is an absolutely incredibly witch! And she knows how it feels to be a bit of an outcast." Even as he said it, Draco realized that it was true. He also knew that he hadn't helped matters over the years. His stomach roiled with guilt, and vowed not to make the same mistake again. His mother smiled indulgently at him again, then said,

"She sounds wonderful dear, but who is she? Do we know her family?" Draco swallowed, not sure how to respond, and tried to brace himself for his mother's reaction.

"You've never met them, but I know that you've heard of them. I think that if you disregard that fact though, you would just love her. She can be so charming, and she has this laugh…it just makes me want to laugh right along with her!" Now his mother laughed lightly at him, and for a second he caught a glimpse of the woman she had been before. Bright, and beautiful and cheerful at home.

"Her name Draco. Surely I can't meet her without knowing first who she is."

"Well, that's the thing. I'm not sure if you'll want to meet her. She's – " His mother cut him off.

"Draco! Of course I'd want to meet her. Such a wonderful sounding young lady? And she has your heart already. There's no question that I would delight in meeting her. Perhaps we could have her for tea this summer? Or I could come and visit you at school, and we could dine then." The idea startled him.

Without even knowing it, he'd just invited his mother to meet Hermione in the one place that Hermione felt safe. School was sacred to her, hallowed ground as it were, and if his mother had a less than favorable feeling on his interactions with a Muggle-born, well, it would change Hermione's view of Hogwarts drastically.

"So, come tell me what her name is, and I shall write to your teachers to let them know I will be joining you at school this Christmas for a few days. I should also get her something for the holiday, don't you think? What sorts of things does she enjoy?"

"Mum, you don't have to come all this way just to see her. I'm sure your meeting her could wait until the end of term."

"Nonsense! I would like to meet this – what did you say her name was again?"

"Hermione," Draco mumbled, bracing for the impact of his words to hit his mother.

"I would like to meet this Hermione as soon…" she trailed off as her face drained of what little color had been there. She looked shocked, then confused. "But surely you don't mean that Muggle girl? Granger, was it?"

Draco thought it was a very good sign that she wasn't throwing things, and so pressed on.

"The very same. Mother, I have all these confusing feelings for her, and when I tried to tell her, she ran away. I'm not sure what I should do, and now she says that she doesn't want me anywhere near her." He stopped and looked at the extra-pale face of his mother, and noted that she was not working herself into a rage. It seemed almost as if she was trying to process everything that he'd said.

"I don't know what to do." He repeated quietly, "And I think I'm falling in love with her." Now that he'd said the words, Draco felt them to be completely true. They also had the affect of bringing his mother out of her reverie.

"You are falling in love with Hermione Granger?" She said it as if she wanted to try it out and it gave him a moment of fret when she did not say anything else right away. Was she that upset with his choice? Did he have reason to believe that his mother would still want to buy Hermione a Christmas gift? He was now even more confused than before!

"You are falling in love with Hermione Granger." She said it again, this time with more finality to her voice.

"Yes, I believe I am." He returned.

"And how does she feel about you? Does she- does she return your affection?" This question surprised him, as he had not expected this. Granted, if he was going to be honest with himself, Draco didn't think that he had really known what to expect to begin with.

"I don't know!" He burst forth, startling them both with the passion of his tone. "I thought that she did! I mean, if you had seen the way she looked at me. But then last night, she seemed to scoff at the idea that I might fancy her! And then she ran out of the closet and told me to leave her alone…She called me Malfoy again, too."

His mother looked at him, confused by his rant.

"Why would it bother you to be called 'Malfoy'? It's your name." He colored slightly, then replied,

"It's not that she called me 'Malfoy', it's that she had been calling me Draco. She has since the night in the bathroom."

"My goodness! First the closet, now the bathroom? My dear, what sort of girl allows herself to be alone with a boy in such situations?"

"Oh no, Mum, it wasn't like that." He shook his head, "The other night I had been in the Prefect's bathroom, and she didn't know I was there when she came in. I think I might have scared her, because she slipped under the water, and I had to pull her out of the bath. Once I got her out of the water, she was fine. Then, she had dragged us into the closet last night before dinner, so that she could talk to me without everyone else peering into our business."

"I see…" His mother didn't look very happy with his explanation though, because she pressed the issue. "What state was she in when you pulled her from the bath?"

He smiled a little at the remembrance of her that first night. She had been cold and wet, and shivering. But the fragrant water had perfumed her hair, and if he closed his eyes, he could almost recall how the lavender had mixed with her own body chemistry to make something so sweetly Hermione. Her lashes had been spiked and her face was flushed with adorable modesty, and embarrassment.

"She was beautiful." The words came out as a sigh, and Narcissa raised an eyebrow at her son.

"I mean, for being half-drowned." He tried to backpedal but his mother smiled at him indulgently again. He hadn't expected her to smile.

"I'll write to Dumbledore and Professor Snape this morning, and make the arrangements for me to meet you at Hogwarts for a few days during your Christmas break. Perhaps you and she will meet me in Hogsmeade one of the afternoons, and we can take her to Tea."

If he was surprised by her smile, it was nothing in comparison to this! He had told her of his feelings for Hermione, and she was still inviting her to tea!

"Mother, are you sure though?" She looked at him then, and there was a depth of understanding in her expression.

"You love her, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then I will give her chance. For your sake."

"But she's a Muggle-born." He was afraid that it would be this factor that would keep the women he loved apart.

"Maybe so, but you love her, and I do believe that during your effusion you said that she was an incredible witch. It is enough for me now, to know that you care about her."

"Mum…" Draco didn't know what to say. She filled in the blank for him.

"I love you too, Draco dear. Now isn't it time you went for breakfast?" He flashed her a grin.

"Isn't it time you did the same?" He teased, and his mother kissed his cheek, then stood, her white dressing gown flowing around her.

"Indeed, it is. I will send that owl this afternoon. Have a good day Draco."

"Good day Mother. And thank you." She smiled her response at him, and drifted back to the table where she picked up a pastry. Draco pulled himself back through the fire, the last image of his mother one of her taking a distracted bite of her breakfast.

As he stood up, he wanted to go to the Great Hall suddenly. Yet he was not hungry. Not for food. He wanted to find Hermione and work things out with her. And he wanted to do it now, before they were put in the uncomfortable position of being together in detention with her friends.

Draco set off, the only thought on his mind was that of finding the bushy-haired bookworm who'd captured him so completely.

He didn't see the person extract themselves from the shadows, a thoughtful look on their face.

_AN: A lot of thought had to go into this chapter. I wasn't sure how I was going to make it work at first, especially since I had already written part of Chapter 10. But that chapter didn't really make sense following this on. So I switched them around, and made this one Chapter 10, instead of 9 like it was originally. Hopefully, my explanation made sense. If you need further explanation, please feel free to email me!_


	11. Ch11: Whispers on the Wind

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or scenery, or anything that is of any great importance to the story. In fact, I believe the only thing I can even claim is the crazy little plot bunnies that are running rampant._

Chapter 11: Whispers on the winds

The following morning dawned bright and gay, and Hermione couldn't be in a more cheerful spirit. She spent the whole of the morning quietly humming to herself in an attempt to remind herself of that. There was nothing but the clear blue sky and the birds singing sweetly that could outweigh her optimism.

Even when she entered the Great Hall for breakfast, and was aware of the fact that Draco was attempting to make his way towards her, she did not allow it to affect her. She simply looked away from him, and struck up a conversation with Fred and George, thanking them for the scones and butterbeer the night before.

She caught a glimpse of Draco as he strode away from the table. He did not seem happy, and so Hermione was all the more pleased because it showed her that he was regretting something about her. Either that, or he was so appalled at her behavior the night before that he simply wanted to disregard her, and it was quite possible that his drawing close to the Gryffindor table had nothing to do with her.

Perhaps he was now to be interested in one of the other Gryffindor girls. If he was, she wished him luck, as (knowing her fellow Gryffindors as she did,) she did not hold out much hope for them. She giggled to herself when she considered Lavender Brown chattering about something superficial with Parvati Patil. The mere thought that Draco might be swept off his feet by Lavender or Parvati was simply laughable, and Hermione did laugh, if only to cover the sudden feeling that gripped her stomach.

_I am not jealous. It is hunger that is gnawing at me. I am NOT making myself jealous over the thought of Lavender being in Draco's arms!_

But try as she might, Hermione could not banish the mental image now that she had conjured it. It was making her feel as if she would be sick, and each time she tried to swallow, her insides rebelled.

Excusing herself from the Weasley twins, she made her way out of the Great Hall and back to the Gryffindor Common Room. There she found Harry, Ron and Ginny conversing in hushed tones. Ginny saw her first, and nudged Harry, who in turn tapped Ron, and the three stopped talking. Curious, but afraid that she already knew what, or rather who, they were discussing; Hermione approached them, and sat in one of the chairs nearby. She forced an extra-bright smile, as she surveyed them.

"And how are you all?" She asked most congenially, trying her hardest not to allow her current distress be known. Ginny must have realized that she was not well, but being the good friend that she is, pushed beyond it to engage in Hermione's social activity.

"We're all quite well, thank you. And yourself?"

"I've never been better in my whole life. Is it not a truly beautiful day outside?" Hermione smiled widely. Harry blinked at her, then asked to no one in particular,

"Are we stuck in a Jane Austen novel? Why is everyone behaving so proper?"

Hermione gave a tiny tinkling laugh, and simply kept her smile firmly in place. Ginny threw him a look of reproach, and he flushed a little under her gaze. Ron looked around the room for a distraction. He found it in the pile of parchment on the table next to him. On the very top was a letter from Hagrid. He showed it to Hermione.

"He wants us to join him for supper. We've already sent Hedwig back to him though, to let him know that we can't. We have the first of our deten-" he cut himself off, obviously trying not to remind Hermione of the fact that Draco would be serving detention alongside them.

But if Hermione noticed, she didn't show it. She simply agreed with Ron's careful abuse of Mr. Filch, and deigned that she too would enjoy placing a well-deserved kick to Mrs. Norris one of these days.

Before long, they settled into silence, and Hermione excused herself to gather her study materials. They sat by throughout the rest of the morning, and a good portion of the afternoon, doing homework, reading, and in Ron's case, trying to see how many times he could put his foot in his mouth. Hermione was sure that by tonight, his shins would be covered with bruises from the kicks that he'd been receiving from Ginny.

Just before dinner, Hermione left them to get an extra roll of parchment for her Ancient Runes paper. She returned to the same quiet exchange between her three friends as she had endured when she first arrived back at Gryffindor Tower. It was quite obvious to her now, that they were talking about her, since she did not capture their attention until she came right upon them and heard the last few lines of their conversation.

"-worried about her. She's so pale, and Lavender said that she cried herself to sleep last night."

"Do you think she's really over him?"

"Not in the least, just look at her pretending to be fine. She's in denial, or lying to herself, or something. She's still very much in-"

"Excuse me for interrupting what I'm sure was shaping up to be a very avid discussion of my personal life, but I was going to let you know that I was on my way down to the Library, and if any of you wanted to join me, you _were_ more than welcome." Hermione sharply inserted. She grabbed up her books, and snatched her Potions essay away from Ron, where he was trying to copy it down to his own paper.

She was quite upset that they were talking about her, and even more upset with herself. How transparent was she, that all of her friends could tell that she was lying? Did this only increase her imperfection? They stared at her in horrified shock. Though whether they were more shocked to see her there, or horrified because she had heard them, she wasn't sure.

Either way, there was no way that Hermione could sit idly by while they discussed her with such unabashed lack of concern for her feelings.

Thinking to find solitude elsewhere, Hermione left them still staring at her, and removed herself from the Common Room as quickly as she could. Not thinking clearly, so much were her thoughts in a tangled mess, and not paying very close attention to the direction in which she was headed, Hermione soon found herself in the same place she had only a few nights before.


	12. Ch12: Baths and Breaking Points

_Disclaimer: Yadda yadda, blah blah, don't own anything…please don't ask if I do, you'll only make the aardvarks cry._

Chapter 12: Baths and Breaking Points

Letting herself into the Prefect's bathroom, she dumped her books, still clutched to her chest in her attempt at escaping her friend's care and censure, onto one of the benches.

A small cry of alarm alerted her to occupancy of the room. For the second time in too many days, Hermione found herself staring at the figure of Draco Malfoy standing in the Prefect's bath.

However startling his presence may have been initially, it could not compare to the sight of him wearing naught but a towel wrapped rather nonchalantly about his trim waist. Years of care and attention, as well as playing Quidditch, had kept him in good shape, and his most recent summer of morose inactivity had not diminished this fact.

He smirked at her when she looked him over again and again. He was reveling in her attention to his figure, and she blushed when she realized that he was taking a similar glance of her.

"I didn't realize that you were in here. I'll just be going now."

She stammered out an apology as well, and as she turned to gather her books and parchment, she heard something so alarming, it drove all other thoughts from her mind.

"Wait, Hermione…"

His entreaty was soft, and at first Hermione had thought that she had imagined it. Yet when she hazarded a look over her shoulder, he was coming toward her, and his face was earnest. He obviously wanted to talk to her, and Hermione was at a loss for words. All she could think of was,

"What did you just call me?"

He seemed to be surprised by her inquiry, and paused mid-step to consider her. Then he smiled at her, and he appeared at once so charming, that Hermione found herself taking a step to meet him halfway. His smile grew wider, and he came right up to her.

"Hermione."

Her name on his whisper. It was as if he had read into her mind and found her deepest fantasy. That alone had the power to disarm her completely.

"Draco, about earlier-" he cut her off with a finger to her mouth, and it took every ounce of will power not to lick her lips.

"I shouldn't have teased you, and I shouldn't have put you in such a position as I did." It was the closest thing to an apology from him Hermione had ever heard. Her astonishment at it caused her to launch into speech of her own.

"Maybe, but I shouldn't have been so afraid to be honest. And I certainly shouldn't have yelled at you, or run off! I should have been mature enough to handle a discussion with you." She fought the urge to run again as he leaned closer and his brilliantly grey eyes met her nervous brown ones. In them she saw that indefinable emotion, which was quickly overpowered by understanding.

"Hermi-" this time it was she that cut him off. Hermione didn't think she would have been able to survive him using her given name again just yet. So she kissed him with all the passion she could muster, and considering the current flurry of emotions running through her, there was quite a bit of passion.

She forgot about her quill and parchment, couldn't care about the fact that her books lay tossed and forgotten on the bench and floor. All that mattered was that she was kissing Draco Malfoy, and he was kissing her back. Their combined ardor made them forget that they were standing in the bathroom, and that Draco was only wearing a towel, wrapped carelessly around his waist.

It did not faze them in the slightest when a rather out of breath Ron suddenly burst into the bathroom. He was followed by Ginny, who took one look at the scene and threw herself at Harry, in order to keep him from entering and seeing the torrid embrace. They had their own scuffle, which resulted in Ron bumping into Hermione and Draco, and putting a stop to their activity.

Harry saw them extract themselves from one another, and it did not take him more than a few confused seconds to realize what he had undoubtedly missed. Ron was staring at Hermione in amazement, and when he turned to look at Draco, he turned very red and muttered something about "owls". No one could figure what owls had to do with anything relevant at that moment, and it took Ginny swooping in to pick up Draco's fallen towel for anyone to notice what had been amiss.

Draco looked a little abashed, and repositioned the towel securely around his waist, while turning what Hermione thought to be a darling shade of pink. Harry was speechless at finding them in such a scene, and Ron seemed to be trying very hard not to laugh. Only Ginny could find words enough to fit the situation.

"So, I'd say you patched things up then?" She smiled at Hermione, and for the first time in days, Hermione smiled back with real pleasure. She knew that Ginny understood, and would hopefully be able to explain things appropriately to the boys. In the meantime, Hermione gave Draco a radiant smile, and ushered the others out into the hallway so that he could get dressed.

"Hermione, are things really worked out between you two?" Ginny asked, concern etched on her face, and the similar emotion was mirrored in Ron and Harry's expressions. Any animosity toward her friends that she may have harbored vanished. They loved her, and were only trying to watch out for her well-being. She gave Ginny a hug.

"Not totally, but enough for me to not feel so completely helpless when it comes to him. I really appreciate all your support Gin; it means so much to me." She looked at the two people who would have the most problem with her relations with the Slytherin on the other side of the door. With a hopeful smile at Ron, whom she figured to be her best bet as far as well-wishing went, she extended an arm, welcoming him into a hug as well. Ron had no qualms about accepting her hug, but asked anyway,

"You're sure, 'Mione? You don't want me to go in there and rough him up for you? He was a royal prat after all."

Hermione laughed, and shook her head.

"Ron, I never thought I'd say this, but you were right all along. I am in love with that royal prat." Needing no further assurance, Ron stepped easily into her friendly embrace. It was nothing to be expected though of Harry. Ron pulled away and all eyes turned to Harry to gauge his reaction to the news.

"I suppose you want me to give you a hug and forget about the past 5 years that he's been my enemy?" he asked, reluctant to offer his good opinion. Ginny looked at Harry exasperatedly.

"Surely you have bigger problems than a 16 year old boy!" She pointed out, and the reminder caused Harry to blush slightly, as he stared down into Ginny's frank brown gaze.

Something glimmered across his expression as he looked at her, and Hermione wondered if Ginny had said something to put that glimpse of hope in Harry's expression. She also felt a little bad for Ron, since he would be the only one left without having found love.

"Harry, I know you're probably upset by all this, but I would like to know that you aren't going to try and hex my boyfriend when he's got his back turned."

Harry didn't look like he liked the way Hermione used the term 'boyfriend' in reference to Draco, but he couldn't deny her this small consolation. He nodded his consent.

Hermione smiled, and opened her arms for a hug, but just at that moment, Draco emerged from the Prefect's bathroom. He was fully dressed, which caused Hermione a flash of momentary sadness at the loss of the sight of all that glorious male flesh. Gathering herself together, she turned back to Harry, only to see him halfway down the corridor.

He never saw her crushed expression, or Draco take her hand at seeing her frown. Harry didn't get to experience the awkwardness of the conversation that followed between the remaining four, nor did he hear the way that Ginny readily accepted and came to terms with Draco and Hermione's relationship.

He wasn't around to notice when Ron gave Hermione an extra tight squeeze, and Draco a few words of warning he normally reserved for Ginny's suitors, before setting off to find his best mate.

He certainly wasn't there when Hermione ducked back inside the bathroom to gather her study materials.

And Harry completely missed Ginny telling Hermione to be good in an undertone as the three of them made their way to the library to finish the afternoon studying.

No, he never saw any of this.

He was already gone.


	13. Ch13: Detention and Invitations

_Disclaimer: I think you probably get the idea by now._

Chapter 13: Detention and Invitations

That evening, the four students met up in the Trophy Room, where Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris were awaiting them. Since the caretaker looked rather smug about something, it was very unlikely they were going to enjoy their task.

They were right. Each one was designated a specific suit of armor, and were instructed to polish it until it was mirror-bright, and oil all the hinges until they could not be heard, even in a deathly silent room.

They each set to work. Draco had hoped to be put nearest Hermione, but instead found himself set between Harry on his left, Ginny to his right. This arrangement seemed to upset Harry, but since Filch would not allow them to move around, they were stuck.

Polishing armor is much easier, they quickly discovered, when it was not extremely ticklish, and jittered and moved when it was rubbed with the polish rag. The oil, likewise, was difficult to administer, not because the suits kept moving, but rather because no matter how recently one applied the oil to a joint, it would begin to squeak again within a few moments.

Thankfully, their task did not allow them much time for casual conversation, as they each had to concentrate on their suit of armor, so that it did not run off only half-finished.

Finally, Harry finished his, and it marched off with the only noise coming from the clatter of metal on flagstones. A new suit stepped up in its place, and Harry began the task anew.

By the end of two hours, they had polished a small group of suits, who were waiting together in a clump in one end of the room. The wrists, hands, and necks of the four students were tired and sore, and it was with relieved moans and sighs they put down their rags and oil cans, and were released from their first night of detention.

As they stepped into the corridor, Harry hurried to walk ahead of them all, lest he be caught in conversation with Draco. Ginny offered a quick goodnight and an apologetic smile to Hermione, then rushed after Harry.

The rest of them walked on, until they came to the point where Draco would have to separate from Hermione and Ron, and go down a different passage to reach the Slytherin dungeons. Ron shuffled his feet for a moment, looking down at them, then straightened his spine, and said,

"'Mione, I'm going to head up, don't be too long. We're already in for enough detention and I don't think I can stand more of that polish smell than I have to." Then he turned left, and continued down the hallways that lead to Gryffindor Tower.

Hermione smiled shyly at Draco, and he responded with a small smile of his own. Then he opened his arms, and she walked willingly into them. They kissed, and hugged so naturally, as if they'd been born to do it. All too soon, Hermione pulled back, and said rather quietly,

"Good night Draco." She paused to lick her lips, then continued hesitantly, "Sweet dreams."

Then, turning quickly, she hurried in the direction that Ron had, on her way to bed. Draco stood a moment longer, enjoying the linger sensation of her lips on his. Then with a last wistful look, he shook his head, and made his way to the Slytherin dungeons.

"Sweet dreams indeed."

The Next Day

Hermione could recall very little of Sunday morning, for she spent most of it in Gryffindor Tower with Harry and Ron, studying. Or rather, trying to study, but somehow always getting distracted by the thought of a certain blonde Slytherin fellow.

At around lunchtime, they all decided that they had done enough homework for the time being. Agreeing on getting something to eat, they put their study materials away, and walked down to the Great Hall together. Harry seemed jovial enough, and Ron was his same old self. It was almost as if they were 11 again, and their friendship was young and new, and they were all happy with one another. Hermione hoped that at some point Harry would be able to move beyond his own prejudices, and be happy for her and Draco.

When they got to the Entry Hall, there was a great commotion going on. Professor Flitwick was balanced very precariously atop a step ladder, hanging what appeared to be some sort of announcement up. As soon as he had safely climbed down, the students milling about rushed forward to read what it said.

Ron smiled at them, and then pushed through the crowd. Harry looked at Hermione, and she smiled in response. It was a very awkward few minutes while they waited for Ron to return, and it threw into blazing contrast the difference between their 11-year-old selves, and them now. Hermione opened her mouth to try and smooth things out between them, but at that moment, Ron returned with a perplexed look on his face.

"All it says is that there will be a big announcement at dinner tonight."

Harry looked as confused as Ron.

"They put up an announcement to tell us there's going to be an announcement?"

Ron shrugged. Hermione laughed at the absurdity of it all, and as they proceeded into lunch, there was much speculation as to what could possibly be so big that they'd have to announce there being an announcement!

At Dinner

The Great Hall hadn't been so packed full of students at one point since the start of term banquet. It seemed that every student present in the Entry Hall had told their friend, and in turn they had told _their_ friend. They were sitting at their House tables, and chattering excitedly about what the big announcement could possibly be. But none of the teachers seemed overly inclined to end their curiosity. Finally, after the dishes had been cleared, Professor Dumbledore stood up and the Great Hall fell silent.

"I'm so glad to see everyone has survived their first month of term." There was a small smattering of laughter.

"No doubt you are all wondering what the big announcement I have for you is."

Everyone was waiting with baited breath, and no one dared to speak a word, in case Dumbledore got distracted. He began in a very grave tone of voice.

"Since the return of Lord Voldemort is upon us, there is very little room to set aside one's fears to have a truly enjoyable time. Therefore, any small measure of fun and excitement we may have must be cherished all the more as we enter some very dark days."

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to Hermione, and she wondered again, just what had happened between him and Dumbledore after they returned from the Ministry last June.

"This is why I have arranged for an evening of entertaining amusement. We are going to celebrate Halloween this year like we never have at Hogwarts. We are going to have a Costume Ball!"

The excitement was palpable, and everyone began talking at once. Dumbledore raised a hand to recall the attention. They quieted down once more.

"On your plates," and saying this he waved his hand, and little scrolls of paper appeared on the plates in front of them, "are your ideas for costumes. By no means must you follow this suggestion, but we will be having a contest for best costume at the end of the evening, and those who are best able to represent their prescribed costume will win a very delightful treat."

The scurrying sound of everyone picking up their scrolls and tearing the little orange ribbons from them was audible, as were the subsequent gasps and laughs as the contents were revealed to each individual. Hermione looked down at her scroll. There was only one word on it, written in the familiar script.

_Butterfly_

_A butterfly? _She thought, _how do I become a butterfly? Do I even want to be put on display for all the school to see?_ She glanced to Ron, who was laughing at his scroll. He showed it to Harry, and Hermione caught a glimpse of it. It read "Muggle Police Officer".

"How am I supposed to know what a Muggle police officer looks like?" Ron laughed. Hermione looked at him.

"Well, yours is quite simple actually Ron, Harry and I can help you with it. Harry, what does yours say?"

"Vampire. Like I want to dress up like a vampire." Harry grumbled. Ginny had overheard him.

"But vampires have such an alluring quality about them! That's what makes them so dangerous to women; they simply draw you in with their gaze."

Harry seemed mollified by this, and asked Ginny what she had gotten. She blushed.

"I'm supposed to be a cat."

"Oh Ginny, you're going to be such a cute kitty!" Lavender Brown exclaimed. "I'm going to be a bumble bee, and Parvati got ladybug! Isn't it fabulous? We're going to be a pair of pretty little insects!"

Lavender turned back to Parvati and began to talk animatedly with her again. Ginny mumbled something about the word 'cute', then excused herself from the table, saying,

"See you in detention."

Harry was trying to explain what a police officer looked like to Ron. Hermione looked across the Great Hall to find Draco watching her, a thoughtful look on his face. He gave her a tiny smile, nodded once, then stood up and left the Great Hall.

Glancing around at her fellow Gryffindors, she saw that they seemed to be engrossed in their conversation, and so got up, and made her way to the doors. She was stopped by a veritable brick wall of Slytherin girl. Pansy Parkinson looked down her little pug nose at Hermione, sneering.

"You better watch it, you filthy little mudblood. Draco is mine, and I don't like to share." Then Pansy pushed Hermione aside, and flounced past her. Shaking off the feeling of anger and resentment towards the other girl, (it would be _very_ bad form to hex her) Hermione tried to find Draco in the Entry Hall.

There were too many students though, and she didn't think she should be seen going into the same closet she had burst from only nights before. Thinking to head onto the Trophy Room, Hermione walked down the corridors alone for a few minutes. It gave her solitude and a time to think.

Halloween in the Muggle world was so very different than it was in the Wizarding world. There weren't the usual regalia of cheap candies, and ridiculous looking pumpkins. No egging of houses and rebellious teens decorating trees with toilet paper. Wizarding Halloween was a much more innocent occasion. They enjoyed the company of others, and had fun. They sometimes dressed up in costumes, but Hermione was sure that it was not as commercialized as it was among Muggles.

Furthermore, Hermione didn't have the slightest idea of how to make herself look like a butterfly. She wasn't even sure she could pull it off. There was a lot that went into being a butterfly, she would imagine, and it would be dreadful to go through the trouble of fabricating a costume to only have it fall short of her expectations.

Hermione turned a corner, and ran right into another wall of person. This time, the person gripped her around the waist and pulled her into a warm embrace. She tensed, then noticed the shock of blonde hair, and the silver grey eyes smiling down at her as his lips descended.

Hermione sighed, then snuggled into Draco better. He pulled back, slightly breathless, and had to swallow a few times before he could speak.

"Did you get your costume assignment?"

It was such an odd question that Hermione had to pause and stare at him.

"Yes, I did. And did you?"

"Yeah, but I'm not going to tell you what it is." He was teasing her, and she smiled, enjoying this form of it.

"Very well, but you won't be able to see mine until the Halloween Ball then either!" She giggled. Draco grew serious.

"Hermione, there are two things I wanted to talk to you about." The chime signaling dinner to be over rang through the castle, and Hermione stepped out of Draco's arms, taking up his hand instead as they walked toward the Trophy Room.

"All right, and what are they?"

"Well… One is…" He seemed to be struggling to say it, and Hermione squeezed his hand reassuringly. With an answering squeeze of his own, he finished his sentence.

"Would you like to attend the Halloween Ball with me?"

_A/N: Ok, so 14 is going up at the same simply because I am impatient to get feedback on Draco in leather pants. I hope I do it justice!_


	14. Ch14: Acceptance

_Disclaimer: …I wish!_

_A/N: Ok everyone, I promise, the leather pants are on their way! I had to explain how they were going to show up though, didn't I? Just wait until you see! Hopefully it will be well worth the wait! Also, this chapter is up right on the heels of the last, because I can't wait for you all to get a hold of Draco in LPs!_

Chapter 14: Acceptance

"Would you like to attend the Halloween Ball with me?"

Hermione stopped walking and turned to stare at him. Draco turned slightly pink, like he was embarrassed or uncomfortable.

"Are you serious? You want me to go to the Halloween Ball with you? Like a date, with the whole school?" Her incredulous tone made Draco freeze. It sounded to him like she was mocking him; Laughing at him for trying to expand their relationship.

"I'm very serious, but if the idea is that ridiculous to you -"

"Of course I'll go with you!" She smiled, "Draco, that's so sweet of you to ask me! I never thought that you'd want to make our relationship public knowledge though, are you sure you want to take me to the Ball anyway? I'll understand if you don't want to."

At this he could not resist kissing the tip of her nose.

"I wouldn't want to take anyone else." They resumed walking to the Trophy Room, and when they got there, instead of Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris, they discovered Peeves. He was going from each of the empty-headed suits of armor, and clanging the visors shut, loudly. It caused each suit in turn to grapple with the air in front of them, trying to catch Peeves and stop the ringing noise that now echoed through the hall.

"Impedimenta!" Draco had his wand out in an instant, and his spell caught Peeves mid-clang. Hermione was impressed by his quick reflexes, and pulled out her own wand, silencing the rings and clanks of the suits of armor. They stilled, and seemed to stand in a relieved posture, if indeed armor could feel relief.

Harry walked in, whispering furiously to Ginny, and saw the two others straightening things up while Peeves was held suspended in the air by Draco's jinx.

"What's going on in here?" Filch came in through the opposite side of the room. He glared at Peeves, but settled his malice on Hermione who was trying to make one suit stand up straight in between two others it was determined to lean on.

"We came in and found Peeves knocking about the suits of armor." Draco tried to explain, but was cut off by Professor McGonagall sweeping in and staring at the mess around her. Pieces of armor had been flung at Peeves in the mayhem, trying to stop him from clanging shut anymore visors on their poor wearer's heads. The pieces had hit several of the display cases, smashing the glass, and breaking other trophies and awards along the way.

Hermione was struggling under the weight of the suit she was trying to convince, but the armor was too much and all three toppled down on her. Draco and Harry rushed to pull her free, as Ron entered the room himself. He had a slightly dazed look on his face, which vanished as he took in the scene before him.

Professor McGonagall looked disapprovingly at Filch as he wandered around the Trophy Room, and poked at the still suspended Peeves. Harry dug the armor away from Hermione, and Draco helped pull her to her feet. She was unsteady, and he pulled her into an embrace of the warmest affection that nobody could miss the emotion between them. Harry was disgusted, and began to stalk off when Hermione reached out a hand to him, and hugged him in thanks for helping to free her from her metal confinement. He gave her a loose return and moved to stand beside Ginny and Ron, far away from the Slytherin he was trying very hard to despise.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, recalling the attention, and then instructed them to clean up the mess.

"After you have restored the glass, and repaired the awards, I believe I will leave the removal of the suits of armor to Mr. Filch. Peeves, I will take with me to the Headmaster's Office, as I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will want to hear about this mishap. There will be no need for any of you to return for the rest of your detentions. It would appear that you have worked out your differences for the time being, and that, I daresay, is punishment enough for some of you." She looked pointedly at Harry who was still glaring thoughtfully at Draco, who was holding Hermione's hand.

"Mobilicorpus." As she swept from the room, she conveyed the impeded Peeves along with her, and Mr. Filch appeared as if he had swallowed Neville's toad, Trevor.

The four began to "reparo" with fervor, and it was not long before things had been set to rights, and they were free to resume their own lives. Ron was having a very difficult time understanding what McGonagall had said about 'punishment enough' and Harry was remaining stoic and silent. Ginny, however, was trying to break the ice, and chattered on about "what good luck it was that they no longer have to serve detention."

Hermione was enduring mixed emotions. She was grateful for Draco and Harry having come to her aid, but she was very afraid that Harry had not yet forgiven Draco and would not be very pleased when she told him that she and Draco were an item. She was bruised from head to foot, and felt tender and sore, aside from her own emotional struggle. Draco seemed to sense that she was in pain, because he began to supplicate her in a quiet tone to allow him to walk her up to the Hospital Wing.

"Madame Pomfrey can patch you up in an instant, and then you won't be in so much pain. Come on, Hermione, it's no farther a walk than it is to your bedroom, and I would feel better knowing that you were well tonight."

Hermione had a thought. She needed the opportunity to talk to Harry and perhaps reason with him on the subject of Draco. She was in no shape to be chasing him all over the castle though, and she did have to agree with Draco on that point. She would much rather be given a pain-killing draught, and be done with it. Yet she wouldn't allow Draco to accompany her, if it meant that she would have a reason to talk to Harry, especially in such a situation as this, where his own honor would not allow him to walk away from her.

"Draco, I think I'd like to have Harry take me." She whispered to him, and the look he gave her was full of surprise and a little hurt.

"Why him? I'm more than happy to take you there myself, and I'm not sure that he would even want to go with us."

"No, Draco, you don't understand. I need to talk to Harry. I need to make him understand our relationship. I won't let one of my best friends continue to hate the person I am with romantically. It puts everyone in such an awkward frame of mind, and we can scarcely speak about anything anymore. He was fine with me seeing someone, he was at least fine with me seeing Viktor Krum, but he has real reservations about you. I need to make him see that you are not the bad guy that he is thinking you are. That you've grown up enough and matured enough to know that all that animosity in the past was foolish and childish."

Her words seemed to sear into him. She was losing a friendship because of him, and she was trying to repair it while there was something to repair. The fact that she thought so highly of him struck him. He hadn't thought of it that way, but he knew that this summer had changed him greatly. He felt more like the man that she thought he was, but not enough to warrant such a high opinion. He felt inwardly pleased however, that her regard was of such a nature. He kissed her cheek gently, and gave her hand a delicate squeeze, before letting it go, and walking a few paces quicker to catch up with Harry.

"Potter, do us both a favor, and please take Hermione up to the Hospital Wing, will you? She's got to be in a great deal of pain, after having three suits of armor jump on her like that. I'm a touch surprised that you didn't think of it yourself!"

Hermione was astonished to see Harry turn with a look of surprise at Draco. He didn't appear too angry that Draco had addressed him in such a manner, nor did he look like he was going to hex her boyfriend into tomorrow. Harry stopped walking, which put a halt to all of their progress, and looked Hermione over. She was standing next to Ginny, and Ron was just as shocked as she was when Harry responded to Draco in a low voice.

"Yeah, Malfoy, I should have thought of that. Hermione, come on, let's get you up to Madame Pomfrey."

Ron opened his mouth to offer to accompany them, but caught Ginny's eye, and closed it again. He patted Hermione lightly on the shoulder as she walked past him, in his own awkward way of offering her support. She gave him a grateful smile, understanding that his own pain could not allow him to wish her luck properly. Draco stopped them as Harry led the way to the Hospital wing.

"Hermione, there's still one more thing I wanted to discuss with you. Will you meet me before breakfast tomorrow?"

Harry narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Draco.

"Anything you have to say to her, Malfoy, you can say to her in front of the rest of us." Draco shrugged.

"So then you can play bodyguard if you want, Potter. It makes no difference to me. Just know that what I have to say has nothing to do with you, and I want to know what Hermione's feelings are on it, not yours."

Harry simply grabbed Hermione by the hand and pulled her away. As she was being dragged off, she glanced over her shoulder and sent a hopeful smile winging toward her friends still standing silently in the corridor.

Harry slowed down when they were out of earshot from them.

"I can't believe it Hermione! I used to think you were the smartest witch of your day! But now you're getting tangled up with _him_?"

"Harry, please. You have to understand. I'm not 'getting tangled up'; I'm going out with Draco."

Harry flinched slightly when she said his name. She blustered on, not caring if her intimacy with his first name made him uncomfortable. Goodness knows he'd made her feel rather uncomfortable quite a bit over the past few days. It was only fair that he know how that felt.

"You are determined to hate him. But this is folly! It's absolutely ridiculous for you to continue despising him, especially since you know what it would mean to me for you to put that behind you."

"And I suppose that _Draco_ has told you that he's moved on?" He sneered.

"He doesn't have to. Look at how he's been acting ever since we all came back to school. He hasn't picked a fight with you, and he's not making fun of anyone anymore. He's had countless times to make a fool of me, and goodness knows I've made a fool of myself enough over the past week to give him fodder enough. Yet he hasn't mocked me, he hasn't teased me, he hasn't scalded me with his painful remarks. _He_ has grown up and matured!"

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment, then whipped around to face her.

"Do you think I've been an ass about this?"

Hermione laughed quietly, but quite humorlessly.

"Do you want an honest answer to that?"

Harry smiled a little, then took Hermione's hand again and started walking once more.

"'Mione, I just don't want to see you hurt, and I don't trust Malfoy."

"I know you don't," Hermione sighed, glad that he was at least open to talking, "But I do, and I really like him Harry."

"But does he like you?" He asked, almost as if he feared the answer.

"Yes," she smiled faintly, "Yes he does. As hard as it was for me to comprehend, Draco actually likes me. He cares about me Harry!" She laughed then, the thought hitting her and filling her with a giddy pleasure. Her own private burst of happiness seemed to temporarily erase the pain from her concentration. She pulled her hand free as she twirled in front of Harry, walking backwards to face him. Harry looked oddly at her behavior.

"I don't know what it is about him either! He's such an enigma. I just look at him, and I see this mysterious person. I mean there are times when I can look at him, and know precisely what he is feeling, but then there are other times when it's almost as if he's hiding half of himself in shadows and can't see out into the light. But he's not bad, like you think. He's just lost, and I think he's worried about life. I'm sure it can't be easy for his family, having his father in Azkaban, and his mother in fear. You can tell that he's just trying to figure out where to go from here."

"And when do you suppose he'll figure it out? When Voldemort is at the castle door?"

Hermione looked reproachfully at him.

"Harry James Potter! Draco Malfoy is not a Death Eater! He's just a lost and confused young man who doesn't know where to begin. I would think that you of all people would understand that feeling! He's just lost his father, and he might be losing his mother as well for all we know. You know what that feels like; the least you could do is have the decency to allow him his faults and mistakes. You're certainly no saint."

Harry flushed a little, but held his tongue, because she had reminded him that he knew exactly what it felt like to have a parent taken from you. He felt that pang of remorse that always accompanied the thought of Sirius' death.

"Now, don't start feeling guilty again Harry. You didn't make him go, and you didn't kill him. You couldn't have known he would die. I'm sorry I brought it up again, but I wanted you to see that it was sort of the same. You felt so lost after Sirius died, well, imagine how Draco is feeling, having known his father his entire life, and knowing that he might never see him again."

"It's not the same thing 'Mione." Harry conjectured.

"No, it's not. In some ways it's worse. He has that small semblance of hope still. You know that Sirius is gone and that he's not going to come back, but Draco…Draco still holds out hope for his father to come back, and that makes the separation that much worse!"

Now Harry felt guilty. Not for Sirius for a change, but that he had been so hard on Draco at the end of the term last year. He himself knew what that felt like. To have someone torn from you so completely, and then to have a person pour salt on the wound. He couldn't believe that Draco had changed his entire personality so, but a summer could do a lot to soften one's disposition. Such events like they had both suffered could also do a lot to a person's demeanor, and it would seem that Hermione had struck him with enough empathy to stop him from thinking ill of Draco.

Hermione looked at him pensively, trying to discern his reaction to her words. He seemed to be lost in thought, so she let him think, and turned around to walk properly. It was not long before they reached the Hospital Wing, and Hermione quickly explained what was wrong to Madame Pomfrey. She received a draught for the pain, and could feel, even as she sipped it, how the bruises that had covered her arms and legs were shrinking and disappearing.

Harry did not say anything again until they had reached the Fat Lady's Portrait and were about to return to the Gryffindor Common Room. Then, when he did, he grasped her by the shoulders to keep her facing him. In a very serious voice, he told her,

"Hermione, I love you like I would love a sister. I don't want you to get hurt, but I don't want to stand in the way of your happiness. If Malfoy makes you happy, and he'd better, then I will not put up a fuss. But, if he ever makes you cry, or if he hurts you in any way, then you'd better believe that I will hurt him!"

Hermione smiled at him, and threw herself into hugging him. He was a little taken aback by her generous reaction, but he hugged her back, squeezing tightly. When he released her, she grinned up at him.

"So how many bruises did you incur from Ginny in the process?"

He laughed but it was strained. They gave the Fat Lady the password and climbed into the Common Room. There weren't many students there, and Ginny and Ron were sitting by the fire, doing homework. As they joined their friends, Ginny looked up from the couch, and shifted over so Harry could sit.

"Everything okay?" Ron asked Hermione cautiously as she sat in the armchair next to his. It was obvious that he was asking about her and Harry, but he was smart enough not to say it outright.

"Perfectly fine." Hermione gave him a keen look, and he smiled slightly, understanding her meaning. They all settled into a comfortable silence, as Hermione picked up a book and began to read, and Harry put his arm along the back of the couch and stared into the fire contemplatively.


	15. Ch15: Halloween Ball

_Disclaimer: sigh if only if only…then Draco would be in this costuming forever!_

_A/N: At last, it is here. The long-awaited and possibly most-sought after chapter of my story. I do hope it does not disappoint. Thanks to everyone in advance, because I know there will be several of you whose kind words and expressions will absolutely thrill my heart and endear you to me more than ever!  
Also, this is going to be a very long chapter, as I started writing and didn't want to stop!_

Chapter 15: The Halloween Ball

The inhabitants of Hogwarts were all in a-flutter about the Halloween Ball. There was much to do and only two weeks to do it in. As always, the underground marketing of substances that were most likely banned for a reason was busy at work. Potions for glamour and beauty flew from hand to hand in the girls' bathrooms and similar products made their way inconspicuously into the pockets of many a young man.

Everyone wanted to look their best, and in some cases, the most ghoulish that could be arranged on such short notice. Owls were sent the morning following the announcement to numerous families, asking for a certain this or a specific that, which would allow the student to whom the object should arrive to be the best dressed.

Even the boys, who scoffed at the girls and their flurry of activity over the Ball, were seen to nervously peer at a small piece of parchment tucked into a pocket in their robes from time to time.

Through all of it, Hermione kept silent on what her costume was. Despite Harry and Ron making absurd guesses of things like "ghoul" and "zombie", Hermione was resolute. She didn't even confide in Ginny, which she knew upset her friend at first, because she wanted in on the secret. But Ginny soon got over it, and became cheerful in her own acquisition of her cat costume.

Finally, the Friday before the anticipated Halloween Ball arrived, much to the joy and consternation of the students. Ron seemed to be having a great deal of difficulty arranging his costume. He threw down the pair of pants he was desperately trying to crease properly in disgust and frustration. Hermione, Ginny, Ron and Harry were gathered in Ron and Harry's dormitory, the girls assisting the boys in organizing their costumes.

"I can't figure out how Mum gets them so straight and flat!" Ron cried out, and he refused to touch the pants until after Ginny had picked them up, and with a small flourish of her wand, creased the pants to perfection. Harry looked up when Ginny passed him to sit next to Hermione on Ron's bed again. Ron goggled at his sister as Hermione was studiously avoiding laughing, and Ginny seemed to be concealing giggles herself.

"How'd you do it?" Ron was amazed. "Maybe it's because you're a girl." Ginny looked about to comment harshly in reply to his muttering, but he quickly covered it with,

"You just have a more natural talent for things like that." His flattery settling Ginny complacently back on the bed, Ron looked to Harry.

"How's it going there, mate? Looking decidedly spooky yet?"

"Erm…I can't really…I'm not…" Harry sighed, then held up his costume. It consisted of a long black cloak, which had formerly been one of his older school robes. Hermione had helped him to lengthen it, and Harry had spent the past several hours arguing with the hem, as it would not fall flat. As he held it up for inspection, Ginny smothered more giggles. There was an entire five inches along the hem that was not even stitched in place, and it drooped rather pathetically onto the floor. Harry's countenance fell. He was tired of wrestling with the needle and thread, and more frustrated than Ron even with his costume.

Taking pity on them, Hermione got up to help Ron affix the several patches to an old work shirt that was to be his top half, and Ginny went to arrange the hem for Harry properly.

And so they spent the majority of the afternoon assisting the boys in their preparations for the Halloween Ball. Ginny retired to her own room to finish her costume, and Hermione was left to attend to her own, miserable affairs.

Over the past couple weeks, Draco had been so attentive toward not only herself, but to Ginny and Ron, and on occasion Harry as well. It was obvious to Hermione that he was willing to make certain concessions in his company if it meant that he could share it with her. He was not the same headstrong and arrogant boy he had been. While still as obstinate in almost every account, he had settled himself into becoming a man of worthy esteem.

Hermione could not have been happier. She was made happier still when Harry resolved to "give Draco a chance", and no longer fled the scene whenever the Slytherin in question would appear. While they would never be bosom buddies, they were at least civil to one another and quite happy not to talk to the other as long as they could avoid it.

It was perhaps not quite what Hermione had hoped for, but she was realistic enough to understand that they would never become good friends. There was too much bad blood between them, and Hermione sometimes wondered if Draco still harbored the thought that it had been because of Harry that Mr. Malfoy was in prison.

As she settled onto her bed, thinking of this and of the following night's event, Hermione was sure that her costume was severely lacking. She was interrupted from her thoughts by Lavender and Parvati bursting into the room, giggling most heartedly. They stopped in an instant when they saw Hermione, then, quickly whispering to Parvati, Lavender addressed her.

"We heard that there was someone who was going to be a butterfly! Isn't that fabulous? A ladybug, a bumble bee and a butterfly! Wouldn't it be so charming if we all came together that evening?"

"If only we knew who it was…" Parvati offered, smiling conspiratorily at Hermione. "I would love to see her costume."

Hermione blanched, then said quietly,

"Why? You'll get to see it tomorrow night, I'm sure."

"Oh, there's no doubt that we would," Lavender explained, "But we want to see if it's going to be any better than our costumes."

"If it is, then we've got some improving to do. We wouldn't want to be up-staged by some little Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw!" Parvati added in a stage-whisper.

"I do hope that it's not that Millicent Bullstrode from Slytherin!" Lavender suddenly exclaimed, "She's built like a brick wall and is just as pretty as one! No, I hope that she doesn't attempt a butterfly!"

While Hermione did not necessarily disagree, she did feel it her duty to point out that it was a very uncharitable opinion of Millicent. Lavender and Parvati scoffed at her.

"Oh, but what would you know, Hermione?" Parvati said in an affected tone, "You aren't anymore interested in pretty fashions than Madame Pince!"

Hermione mentioned that she was not sure that it was a bad thing, if it meant being unkind to someone whom she didn't really know for no other reason than to be catty. Lavender laughed shrilly.

"Like we care what you think! Just go back to your dusty old books and leave us to our conversations then, if you disagree with them so much. I don't think any of us would bother you to join us at the Ball! We might be catty, but we'd rather be catty and pretty, than uptight and not!"

Parvati added her agreement, and together the two pernicious snips left the room, thoroughly disgusted with Hermione, and vice versa. Hermione watched them leave gratefully. The two of them had been wearing on her nerves all week as it was. Between their constant goading about Hermione's sudden absences after dinner, (for nobody but Ron, Harry and Ginny knew where she disappeared off to with Draco at those times) and their unceasing chatter on the Ball this and the Ball that and whose costume is going to be better than anyone else's, it was all Hermione could do to not scream every time they entered the same room.

Hermione would have loved nothing better than to show up to the Halloween Ball looking as beautiful a butterfly as she could mange, but since Hermione knew she was not really beautiful, and could only barely scrape by on 'pretty' when she truly tried; there was a very small chance of that happening.

She locked the bedroom door, and opened the trunk at the foot of her bed, withdrawing from it her pitiful excuse of a costume. It was not very well made, but she had no idea what she wanted from it, and so could not effectively use her magic to make it as such. The fabric slid through the fingers of one hand to the other, it was so light and airy. It seemed to be the only thing Hermione could think of, transfiguring a long sheath style dress from a sweater that she had bought while on holiday in France. But looking at it now, Hermione was not at all pleased with what she saw.

The words "uptight" and "not pretty" seemed to race through Hermione's head over and over again, until she could imagine that she heard them as clearly as if Lavender had been beside her, repeating them. And why shouldn't Hermione want to be pretty? She was going to be meeting Draco in the Entrance Hall tomorrow night, and she wanted to see his impression when she floated down the stairs in a gorgeous butterfly costume.

Yet no matter how she turned the costume this way or that, there was no 'gorgeous' to be seen by Hermione. Gathering her wits about her, and picking up the pitiful thing, she hurried down the hall to Ginny's room in search of a friend, and some help.

The Next Evening

When Draco Malfoy strode from the stairs leading from the Slytherin Common Room, he was amazed at the bustle and activity in the Entrance Hall. It was only twenty minutes before the Halloween Ball was supposed to start, and everyone was anxious to get inside and see the Great Hall in all its decorated glory. Draco was only anxious to see Hermione. She had not met him last night in the Prefect's Bathroom, as she normally would have, and he hoped that she was not going to bale out on him tonight.

Staring at the room around him, he noticed a Vampiress headed his way, and tried to pretend not to notice and duck. But Pansy had caught his gaze, and tottered over on too-tall heels, in a too-tight dress and snuggled up to him in a too-familiar way.

"Oh Drakey! You look so devilish! What are you supposed to be?"

Carefully dislodging her from him, he looked down over his costume. It had turned out better than he had expected, and by all accounts he thought it was a very good shift. He liked how he had looked in the mirror, although it had taken several minutes for him to reconcile that it was him in the reflection. He was curious as to whether or not Hermione would recognize him at first, but was tugged away from his musings by Pansy tugging on his sleeve, and whining into his ear,

"Drakey, come on, let's go somewhere quieter. You never seem to be around at night anymore." She gave him a simpering smile, "I miss our nights together." If anyone had heard her, they would have suspected something more than the truth of her statement. For, aside from half a dozen clumsy and foolish attempts at getting to second base, there was nothing between Pansy and Draco in the way of history or relationship. Now Draco regretted even that, if it meant he was going to be plagued by her for the rest of his time at school.

Pansy heard an exclamation on the other side of the Entrance Hall, and turned her head to find the source of it. Draco looked too, curious to see if Hermione was near the commotion. He wanted to find her as soon as possible, not only to escape Pansy's cloying perfume and attentions, but because he had missed her last night. He had not realized how much he depended on their late night meetings until he had not seen her for one.

"Would you look at that?" They heard someone screech, and Pansy rolled her eyes.

"Gawd it's that Lavender Brown making all the noise! When will she learn to keep her big mouth shut up?" But the distraction was enough to draw her attention, and Pansy tripped her way through the crowd to see what was going on. Draco let her go a few paces in front of him, and then followed in her wake.

It was indeed Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil at her side. Lavender was wearing some yellow and black striped mini dress, and Parvati's was red with black spots. They would have looked cute, except that their skirts were too short to be considered tasteful, or even legal. Instead they appeared more to be competing with Pansy in some imaginary battle for the most indecent possible dress for the night. At least Pansy's covered to just above her knees, even if it was too tight for her.

But what took his attention was the girl that they were staring at. Hermione looked at them haughtily, and was saying something too quietly to Ginny on her left to be heard by Draco. Harry had placed a restraining hand on Ginny's arm, and Ron looked like he was about to hit Parvati as she laughed uproariously.

Hermione was wearing a light mint green dress, and had a pair of incandescent wings. It looked soft, and it made Draco long to run his hands down it, and the body encased in it. She had done something to her hair, and while there was still quite a bit of it, it seemed less tangled and bushy. Draco smirked; she had tamed her hair for the night. He seemed to recall her doing something similar a couple years earlier for the Yule Ball as well, but tonight it was left down, with the exception of a small portion, that was drawn off to one side with a sparkling clip of some sort. Settled on top of her miraculous hair was a pair of thin, sparkling antennae that seemed to shower glitter behind her when she moved her head.

Suddenly realizing, however, that Lavender continued in her abuse, Draco caught the end of her sentence.

"-can't believe you thought you could pull it off! You're never going to work that costume, and you know it!"

Hermione looked quite upset, but Ginny was more so, and now had both Ron and Harry holding her back. Draco took a second look at the youngest Weasley.

Ginny had endeavored to transform herself into what Draco could plainly see was a cat. She was wearing a bodysuit of red and orange, and it fit her like a second skin, but not in the same way that Pansy's dress fit. This looked like it had been tailored to her, or as if she was not wearing a suit at all, and was truly a cat-girl. She had a pair of orange ears perched atop her ginger hair, and Draco thought he caught a glimpse of a tail when she struggled against her friends' hold.

All in all, Draco thought that she was cute, but wondered if her choice of such a form-fitting costume had something to do with her hopeless crush on Potter. Draco was sure of it, when he saw her dash Potter a look. Although there were plenty of scantily clad young women around, (obviously their attempt at sexy and alluring) Draco could not see the reason for such a big deal about Ginny's costume, until Ginny pulled an arm free and brandished her wand in Lavender's direction.

Having seen what Ginny could do in a temper, he jumped away from Lavender's form as she continued to laugh and tease Ginny on her "attempt at becoming a pretty kitty". Ron lost his hold on his sister's arm, and Harry grappled with Ginny, trying to keep her in his hold. Hermione quickly snatched the wand from her friend's hand, whispering fiercely.

Ron was glaring at Lavender and Parvati as they proceeded to move their censure and hilarity to not only his own costume, but to that of Hermione's as well. Hermione whipped around and, with a flash of movement, had cast a spell at Lavender and Parvati as they struggled to breathe through their laughter. Parvati screamed, but it was quickly drowned out by more laughing.

Draco could not tell what Hermione had done, but it was enough to cover his movement. He maneuvered himself right behind her, and when Ginny was still arguing with Harry, and insisting that he let her go, to which he staunchly refused, Draco whispered to Hermione,

"A butterfly?"

She gave a small squeak of surprise, but turned to flash him a strained smile. She was still trying to convince Ginny to be calm, but to little avail. Finally, she pinched Ginny lightly, to get her attention, then pointed at where Lavender and Parvati were lying on the ground, gasping and struggling for air through gales of laughter.

Ginny stopped pulling against Harry to see for herself. It didn't appear as if there was anything out of the ordinary, until the look of hilarity had worn off their faces, and still they kept laughing. It was now obvious what Hermione had done, and no matter how much Lavender struggled to regain her composure, the laughter would not stop. Parvati managed better, but not by much. She was able to gasp out a few syllables of speech, though what she said was lost in a garbled mess, as everyone who had witnessed the scene had begun to laugh as well.

Draco looked at Hermione astonished, and continued to gape at her, as she took a step forward and looked down at the two on the floor. Lavender was now gripping her side, gasping pathetically through her giggles, and Parvati could only stare at Hermione while her own mirth poured forth.

"I believe you are very wrong, Lavender. Ginny is quite capable of carrying off the costume, as I'm sure you would have found out, had she not friends who would stop her from scratching out your eyes like that feline she is tonight. Furthermore, you owe her an apology, and I think one to Ron as well. You have no right to be so cruel and cold to anyone else, and I hope that you will learn your lesson the first time."

Parvati gasped out something, but no one but Hermione seemed to be able to catch it.

"Oh it will stop when you have learned better. Those who laugh first, will die laughing." Horror-stricken expressions met Hermione's fierce gaze, and Ginny was even impressed as her quiet, though opinionated friend stood up against two people who had always been both sweet and cutting, charming and churlish. Lavender stared up at Hermione and garbled out something.

"I would also remind you, that while I may not be beautiful, I happen to like my costume very much. And unlike you, mine comes with grace and dignity…and a date."

Then, leaving the fitful pair, she stalked over to Ginny. The doors to the Great Hall were thrown open, and the students began to gush forward into it. Hermione gave Ginny a censuring look, and shifted her look to Harry with a pointed gaze. Ginny blushed and looked more the cat than ever, as she now matched her costume perfectly.

Ron's ears were red, either from embarrassment or anger, no one could really tell, and Harry took Ginny by the hand, and the three of them moved with the rest of the crowd into the Great Hall. Hermione took a deep breath as she watched Harry lean in to whisper something to Ginny. Draco stepped up to her, and took her hand, tucking it into the crook of his arm. She gave him a look of surprise, and he merely smiled.

"You were absolutely beautiful just now." He commended her. As they passed by Lavender and Parvati, who had now found the strength to sit up and try to breathe properly, Draco patted Hermione's hand in a very soothing way, and lead her past their astonished looks. Hermione was pleased with how stunned they looked, and hoped that they would remember to hold their tongues in the future.

"I am not beautiful, Draco, and flattery will get you nowhere with me." She scoffed at his idea, although secretly she thrilled that he had thought her beautiful.

"No, for once, you are wrong. You are always beautiful, in your own way, but especially when you get angry. Then it's glorious!"

Hermione laughed outright at his description.

"You're touched in the head if you think my getting upset is a thing of beauty."

"I wouldn't mind being touched by you." He muttered.

"What was that?" She leaned into him closer to try and hear what he was saying.

"I was thinking that these pants are getting a little stifling in the crush of people." It was only then that Hermione stood back and realized what he was wearing. A black satin shirt open at the throat, black bandana on his head, a black mask covering the top half of his face, a sword attached to his belt…and…

"Are you wearing leather pants?" She asked incredulously. He looked taken aback.

"Yes, and I'll kindly remind you not to laugh at them. I think they're very nice-looking, as far as leather goes. But as I have to wear them all night, I think I'd rather not be smashed between other bodies for the most of it."

Hermione was about to say something further on this subject, but was caught by the flickering of thousands of candles suspended in the air in the Great Hall. There was a band in the corner, and the normal multitude of carved pumpkins and jack O'laterns were outnumbered by at least fifty. The entire Great Hall had been so decorated, that it was very difficult to tell it was even the same room at all. The usual live bats that clung to every surface were there, and this year were joined by small beetle-like creatures which shone brightly, their tails alternating between red, orange, and yellow lights.

The band was playing something low and haunting, and it gave Hermione the impression of walking into the Haunted House that had been at a fair she had once visited with her parents when she was a child.

Draco took it in with some gratification, but it was nothing compared to the awe on Hermione's face. He smiled indulgently at her expression, and led her off to where Ginny was waving them, a small table about halfway across the Great Hall. He sat Hermione in the chair to the left of Ginny, and took the one on Hermione's other side.

"What are you supposed to be, Malfoy?" Ron asked, confusion spread across his face.

"Zorro." Hermione and Draco both answered at the same time, and smiled at each other in response. While Harry explained the concept of the masked swordsman to Ron and Ginny, for they had never heard of him, Hermione placed a hand on Draco's sleeve, leaning in to whisper,

"You still have not told me what the second thing you wanted to discuss with me was. Is it something so distressing that you are avoiding it?"

Draco looked surprised.

"Not at all. At least, I don't think so. My mother would like to meet you, and is planning on a visit to Hogwarts this Christmas holiday. She wanted me to persuade you to join us for tea at some point on one of the days she'll be here. I believe she said she was going to take up lodgings in Hogsmeade."

Hermione looked at once pale and disconcerted, but in the dim and infrequent lighting, Draco did not see her change in demeanor. So, thinking her silence was acquiescence, he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss on her fingertips. Unfortunately, this was seen by Pansy, who happened to be coming up on Draco from behind, trying to see who his companions were.

With disgust, she saw who he was not only sitting with, but kissing the hand of, and Pansy was not happy in the least! She flounced off, and resolved to get even with that little Mudblood bitch for bewitching her Draco!

With all the excitement prior to the Ball, Hermione half-expected to be somewhat disappointed in the actual thing itself. But Draco endeavored to make sure she was content the entire night. Never had he been so solicitous to her, and she wondered if it might have something to do with the fact that the one time he had left her side (to fetch them butterbeer) he had been accosted by Pansy Parkinson. He had come away from her, and returned to Hermione within moments of her seeing this conflict.

Ginny and Hermione chatted happily throughout the entire night, and Harry seemed to be paying especially close attention to Ginny. When Hermione dared to mention this to her friend, she colored slightly, then confided in a whisper that Harry was keeping an eye on her so that she "could not get herself into more trouble tonight".

Hermione wondered why Ginny should be so thrilled by this idea, until she realized that Harry was not only watching and talking to Ginny more, it seemed to be her alone who could hold his attention. His vampire costume had come off quite nicely, and Ginny kept running her fingers along her neck from time to time, quickly glancing at Harry, and then away.

Ron looked a little sad, and quite miserable when he noticed that his sister was flirting with his best friend. When he looked at Hermione, his gaze seemed to say, "Well, what can I do anyway?" Hermione at once took pity on him, and tried to strike up a conversation between herself, Ron and Draco. It took some managing, but when they finally stumbled upon the one thing that all three of the men at the table could 'agree to disagree' on, that being Quidditch, Hermione settled back in her seat to talk more with Ginny.

And so the night passed pleasantly. Hermione danced with Ginny to a couple of the faster songs played, but for the most part spent her time in the company of her good friends. Draco had made it clear that he was not overly inclined to leaving the table. At one point, Ron excused himself to go visit the loo, and Harry turned a quick glance to Ginny.

"Do you, um, would you like…Ginny, you wanna dance?" He stumbled over the proposal, but Ginny simply beamed at him, and quickly assented. As they walked to the space cleared for dancing, Hermione watched them go with a wistful smile on her lips.

"Well, that wasn't awkward for him at all." Draco remarked softly, pressing Hermione's hand into his own. "And it shouldn't be so damned difficult to talk to a person he loves as much as he does that girl."

Hermione gave him a side-long look. To her, it was obvious, and to Ron as well it would seem, but to have Draco notice it as well? How long had her two friends been in love before any of them had seen it? Hermione smiled at the pair on the dance floor again. They were so perfectly suited for each other. Just as Hermione was agreeing with Draco, he pulled her to her feet, and seeming to have to come to some internal decision, led her to the dancing.

He took her into his arms as a slower song started up, and carefully turned her around the floor until she found herself right next to Ginny and Harry. Harry looked a bit surprised to see them appear so suddenly near them, but Ginny was absolutely shocked to see Draco dancing with Hermione. She looked at her friend, who simply smiled and shrugged, sharing Ginny's confusion at Draco's sudden move.

"So, Hermione, have I told you how much I like your costume?" Draco asked, his voice quiet enough not to disturb the rest of the couples dancing, but loud enough for Harry and Ginny to hear him as well. Hermione looked at him in bewilderment, not only at his strange question, but in the tone he asked it. It was almost as if he was trying to hint at something to her, but as to what that might be, she had no idea.

"Erm, thank you Draco. Ginny helped me to get it ready in time for tonight. I couldn't have done it at all without her." At her response, Draco smiled, then looked at Ginny.

"You're quite talented. Wouldn't you agree, Potter?" He looked pointedly at Harry, who mumbled an agreement, then twirled a blushing Ginny away from them.

Draco watched as the song ended, and Harry quickly escorted Ginny back to the table. As he and Hermione moved in their direction, she commented on his subtlety, for now she could see his intention.

"Well, he wasn't going to be able to openly compliment her on his own. Let's face it, he's not very smooth."

Hermione laughed at the contrite look on her boyfriend's face, and agreed.

"While Harry may not be the best 'ladies man', I think you may have only succeeded in making them more uncomfortable with each other. Ginny may not be shy about much, but she's an absolute wallflower when it comes to him. She always has been."

"And he's no better than she!" Draco retorted, self-righteous indignation making him defend his own actions. As they had reached the table now, Hermione could not respond to Draco's observations, but silently agreed with him. She wanted her best friends to be as happy in love as she herself was, but it seemed that it would take quite a bit for that to happen anytime soon.

The rest of the night passed by quickly, and as the band announced their last song for the night, Hermione felt the events of the day drag on her. She and Draco got up to dance, and Harry and Ginny quickly followed. Hermione looked back at Ron, who sat carefully avoiding watching them leave. Placing a hand on Draco's arm to stop him, she quickly looked around the rest of the Great Hall.

Hannah Abbot was sitting about 15 feet from where Hermione and Draco stood. She was laughingly waving at her friends to go dance, while remaining at the table by herself. Pressing her lips together, Hermione watched as Hannah watched her friends walk off, then down into her own lap, before lifting her head again to regard the dancers with a soft, sad smile. Making up her mind, Hermione let go of Draco's hand, much to his surprise, and walked quickly to where Hannah sat.

Draco watched his girlfriend lean down to whisper to the Hufflepuff girl. He followed their gaze over to where Weasley was sitting by himself, nursing a butterbeer. Draco had felt for the guy, as he had sort of been a fifth wheel, but he hadn't been sure what to do, other than try to include him in conversations. His gaze flew back to Hermione as she talked quickly to Hannah, who stood up, and smiled shyly at Hermione. Hannah's long yellow gown fell to the floor, and it struck Draco as humorous that she was dressed like a princess as _she_ made her way to the table to ask _him_ to dance.

Ron seemed as surprised as Draco had been, but he smiled and quickly got to his feet. Hermione came hurriedly back to Draco's side, grinning widely. Graciously extending his arm, Draco took Hermione to share the last dance of the night. Sighing contentedly, she leaned into his embrace and settled her head on his shoulder. He tightened his arms around her, and held her close, rocking slowly back and forth. He pressed a kiss and a smile into her hair, and wondered if she was thinking the same thing he was.

_This felt perfect._


	16. Ch16: Fools In Love

_Disclaimer: Do I honestly have to keep writing these things for every chapter?_

Chapter 16: Fools in Love

November was cold and quick, and before anyone else could tell what had happened, it was December. Hermione was to be found in very high spirits. She and Draco had come to understand and appreciate one another so well. She loved him dearly, although she had not yet informed him of this. It was obvious to anyone who might see them together though, so much so that even Lavender and Parvati could not tease her too long on the subject. Indeed they were teasing very few people these days, and Hermione hoped that it was due to her "lesson" the night of the Halloween Ball.

Ginny, however, could not claim the same degree of good cheer. In spite of the progress that had appeared to be made that night, the whole of November had passed by sadly remiss of Harry's attention. Though Ginny could not bring herself to confront him with her feelings, she made no secret of her frustration with Hermione, and on one occasion, Draco as well. Though, by all accounts, this last was purely by accident.

She and Hermione had been sitting in the library, looking over several copies of text, trying to make sense of Ginny's Astronomy homework. Since she was eager to do well on her OWLs she had employed Hermione's expertise on the subject to help her study, and Hermione had only been too happy to oblige her friend. Tossing down her quill, Ginny growled quietly, causing Hermione to look up from the essay she had been reviewing.

"Is there something on your mind, Ginny?" Hermione asked, trying not to smile, having already guessed what could possibly be troubling her young friend.

"You know very well there is! Hermione, what am I to do?" Ginny's exasperation was evident, and she began the same conversation that she and Hermione had had several times over the past several weeks.

"I have no clue how much more I need in order to get it through Harry's thick skull that I love him!"

"Have you told him that yet?" came a drawling reply from behind the shelves right behind them, and Draco strolled out from the shadows, his book bag slung over one shoulder nonchalantly. He leaned in and gave Hermione a quick peck on the cheek in greeting, then settled himself down at their table. Ginny was so embarrassed that she couldn't find words to tell Draco it was none of his business.

"Gin, there's no need to be shy around Draco. It's not as if he doesn't already know."

At this Ginny's outrage was obvious, and she practically screamed,

"_You told him?_"

"Miss Weasley!" Madame Pince was on them in a second, and with all the bearing of a highly agitated librarian, asked them to remove themselves promptly if they were going to continue in such a _loud_ manner. They quickly and quietly apologized and promised to keep their voices down to a reasonable level for walking among the headstones in a graveyard.

"Hermione didn't have to tell me anything, Ginny; a blind man could see it." Draco whispered laughingly.

"Which makes Harry blind as well as thick." Ginny muttered, and it made Hermione chuckle quietly.

"Well, if you want a man's opinion on it," Draco drawled, settling back in his chair and draping an arm behind Hermione.

"I don't think it could hurt." Ginny interjected. Draco smirked.

"If someone loved me, I'd want them to just come right out and tell me. Subtleties are lost on us guys." With this he shot Hermione a glance, and then quickly looked back at Ginny, who was staring at him like he'd grown a second head.

"Are you suggesting I just _tell_ Harry how I feel?"

"Yep, like you said, there's not much else you can do to make him notice it." Ginny looked down at her parchment, apparently lost in thought. Draco's attention was caught by movement of Hermione's head, and followed her eyes to see what she was looking at. There, in the shadows, was Harry himself. It appeared he had been on the other side of the shelf when he had heard his name.

_Trust Potter to listen in on someone else's conversations. Although maybe this will be good for him, to see what's in front of his bloody nose!_

Hermione looked like she was about to stop her friend from saying anything more on the subject, since their subject was standing right behind her, but Draco covertly tapped her shoulder under the cover of her hair. She turned to look at him, and he gave his head a tiny shake to let her know not to say anything. Hermione frowned and opened her mouth to speak, so Draco did the first thing he could think of to keep her from blowing his plan. He kissed her.

At first she resisted, but he coaxed her into it, and it only took a couple seconds before Ginny was clearing her throat at them to get their attention. Hermione pulled away and blushed, staring down at her hands in her lap. Draco glanced at the shadows and saw Harry still there, but looking the other direction.

_So Potter still can't stand to see me with Hermione…_ Draco thought to himself, slightly amused by the situation. He couldn't watch Draco kissing Hermione, and he couldn't tell that Ginny was mad about him. It would seem there was a lot that Harry didn't know about.

"What should I say to him?" Ginny's soft question brought him away from his musings and back to the present conversation. Hermione looked worriedly at Draco, and he wrapped her hand in one of his before answering.

"Tell him exactly what you want him to know." Another quick glance, to prove to himself that Harry was still there, and still listening intently. "Pretend I'm him, what would you say to me?"

Ginny took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. She looked Draco directly in the eye and said,

"Harry Potter, I love you. You may have been too thick to notice it, but I do, and even though I've tried to forget it, I can't. You are the only one for me."

There was a thump, like the sound of several books falling to the floor, and Hermione bit her lip, looking over Ginny's shoulder. Harry was scrambling to gather up his papers when Ginny turned to see what had happened. She turned red, redder than her trademark Weasley hair, and looked with wide, frightened eyes at Draco. Draco merely smiled, but grabbed her arm when she would have dashed off.

"Was he there the entire time?" Ginny asked, tears of embarrassment standing out in her eyes. Hermione jumped to her feet, and moved around the other side of the table. Harry was back on his feet now, and staring at Ginny with wonder. Ginny, however, refused to meet his gaze, but glared at Draco instead. Hermione gave Draco a look, then turned her friend's attention away, saying,

"At least he knows now, right?" Hermione looked at Harry, who was still staring and hadn't said a word. When he realized that she was watching him, he swallowed then cleared his throat.

"Gin, is it true?" His voice was low and hoarse, like he was trying to push back emotions. Now Ginny met his gaze, determination shining in her face. She'd come too far to turn back, and it's not like she could deny it now that she'd said it all to Draco.

"Yes," Her whisper was so soft it was almost a strain to hear her, and when Harry solemnly extended a hand to her, she gave him her own trembling one. Forgetting about their books, or their homework, they walked from the library without a word. Hermione watched pensively as they left, hoping that it would spark conversation when they were able to speak freely. Hermione turned to glare at her boyfriend.

"That was a very dirty trick Draco." She came back to her chair, but didn't sit, keeping it between them. Draco merely gave her that maddening smirk that Hermione equally loved and hated.

"You could have done irreparable damage just now." Hermione was upset, although she couldn't be too upset, since she wasn't shaking, and her eyes danced with suppressed happiness for her friends. Draco thought she looked very pretty trying to be angry with his interference, and couldn't help but pull her down into her chair. He couldn't get enough of her nearness.

"I could have, but I doubt it. She's too in love with him, and he's just as crazy about her. It would have worked itself out. Besides, you said it yourself, she's not shy about anything but him. Now that that barrier has been knocked down, nothing should hold them back." Draco kissed the back of Hermione's hand, holding it to his heart when he was done. He looked into her intelligent brown eyes, and could have lost himself in their chocolately depths if she had not diverted her gaze, some undefinable emotion cloaking them with uncertainty.

"Draco, did you mean what you said to Ginny earlier?"

"What do you mean?" He was worried, and tried to think back to what he had told Ginny. Something about wanting a man's opinion, and then-

"Would you really want to know if someone loved you?"

His heart beat fast, and he suddenly felt very warm. What was she getting at? Was she going to tell him that _she_ loved him? It was what he had wanted to hear all along, to be sure, but now that the moment was upon him, he was nervous to hear the words from her own lips. But she was not meeting his gaze, and now he had another worry. What if she didn't love him at all? What if what she had to tell him was to the opposite effect, and she wanted to break up? He felt his blood run cold at the thought. He didn't want to lose Hermione. She meant too much to him. No, he wouldn't allow her to breakup with him!

While Draco was suffering from his own thoughts, Hermione was reeling from her own. Was she seriously considering telling him that she loved him? But Ginny had the courage to face Harry after she had spilled her guts to Draco, so Hermione should be able to say this to her own boyfriend, right?

With this in mind, she finally had the courage to meet his gaze. She was startled by the fierce look in his eyes. What had he been thinking while she made up her mind that would give him such a ferocious quality? Stunned by it, she cleared her throat, trying to recall precisely what she wanted to say.

"Draco, I-"

"Hermione, I won't let you do this." He burst out hotly. She stared at him in confusion. "I know what you're going to say, and I don't want to hear it." Now her confusion turned to first hurt, then was followed closely by outrage. How dare he? She was willing to bear her heart to him, and he didn't want to hear it? The indignation rose quickly in her chest, and she got to her feet quickly. She whipped her wand out, using it to swirl all her books and papers into her bag, then threw the bag over her shoulder and turned to glare at Draco.

"Draco Malfoy, if you don't want to hear what is in my heart, then so be it. But perhaps you shouldn't be so quick to judge the thoughts of those who love you!" Then, before he could do more than stutter a small sound of surprise, she ran from the library. The tears that were trying to form in her eyes were tamped down by her anger, and it wasn't until she burst out into the cold December sunshine that she allowed them to sting her cheeks. It was only then that she realized how quickly she had moved, and that she had not thought to grab her coat from the back of her chair in the library. That meant she would have to go back and retrieve it at some point, but she wasn't going to attempt until she was quite certain that _that boy_ was gone from there.

She threw her bag down by the tree next to the lake, and began to pace along the frozen edge furiously. What right did he have to tell her didn't want to hear what she had to say? It wasn't like she was going to force her feelings on him, but hadn't it been _him _who had said he'd want to know if someone loved him? Wasn't he the one to say that he'd want to hear it for himself? Hermione was muttering under breath, tiny little incantations for producing warmth, but she didn't realize how much her anger had spread her magic, because it was a few moments before she realized she had been striding about in a veritable pond of melted snow.

She stopped and looked down at where her feet were standing in the slush and puddles.

_What am I doing?_ She thought _Storming around and melting things, just because I'm angry. This isn't like me at all. I've got to get a grip on myself. _She took a deep breath of composure. _I will have to face him at some point, but I don't know what I will say to him. We had been going along so well, and then this happened. Was this how love was? Maddening and confusing as hell? Would it ever get easier? It's not like I can just pick up a book and learnall about it. The only books that talkabout love are either torrid novels or about potions. I need to know the psychology behind love. The 'why' of the human heart!_

"'Mione?" A small voice ventured, startling her from her reverie and her heart was beating faster than it ought when she put a hand to it to steady herself. Draco was standing there, looking a little confused by her standing in a puddle, and holding something in his hand. She realized with another start that it was her coat. He had brought her coat out to her? Even though she wanted nothing to do with him at that moment, she couldn't deny the gallantry of his gesture.

"I figured you might get cold out here." He said, carefully stepping into the pond that her anger had created. She narrowed her gaze at him.

"How did you know I was out here at all?"

"Man's intuition?" He offered a small smile, trying to coax one from her. She didn't even flutter a lash in his direction. Just because he was being a gentleman now didn't mean she was done being angry with him. He seemed to realize it, and looked down at the coat he still held out to her. "I saw you coming in this direction, and when I passed Ginny and Potter in the Entrance Hall, they said you had gone running outside." He gave her a rueful look,

"I would have been out here earlier, but I had to convince your watchdogs that I wasn't trying to hurt you in any way. That Weasley girl has got some right hook." He rubbed his arm tenderly. Hermione didn't soften one bit, and Draco was starting to wonder if she had been out here too long, and frozen as cold as the ground.

"Hermione, I owe you an apology." His throat caught when he realized there was a tear in her eye. Had he made her cry? Was this small sign of emotion because of his carelessly spoken words before? It must be, and Draco felt terrible at the fact. He never wanted to see her cry, but it tore at him to know that he had caused it this time. He took a deep breath and a sharply exhaled when he came to the conclusion he had earlier. She had run from the library, and it had only taken him a second to realize that she had implied that she loved him. The thought struck him, and it only took a few more seconds to gather himself, and her coat, and take off after her.

"I was an idiot. I had thought something and it scared me to think you might be as well. I didn't want you to say anything because I thought…well, I thought you were going to break up with me!" His words poured forth, and his last outburst seemed to shake her out of her ice princess pose.

"Why would I break up with you Draco? I love you, why would I want to separate us?" Her tone was confused, and it took his breath away to hear her say the words.

"I don't know why you would want to break up with. I was scared and stupid, I should have thought rationally. But I was terrified for some reason that you were done being my girlfriend. I didn't want to lose you Hermione…" He had to swallow past the lump in his throat. "You mean too much to me."

"You _were_ being stupid, Draco…" she replied quietly, giving him a small half smile, "But I suppose I shouldn't have run off and gotten so angry. I could have saved myself a lot of anger and wet feet," they both looked down at her wet shoes, and how the cold outdoors had caused some of the ice to start reforming, "If I had just stopped long enough to think and talk to you. I could have explained away your fears, and not gotten so upset." Draco shook his head.

"No, Hermione, this is all my fault. If I had stopped to listen to my heart instead of my insecurities I would have been able to keep a cool head long enough to hear you out. I am so sorry." He wasn't sure he'd ever apologized to anyone so completely, but this was important to him. _She_ was important to him, and he needed to know that they were back on even footing before he could go any further.

"I think we're both a bit to blame. Your fears and my temper were both too close to the surface for either one of us to be rational." She drew a deep sigh and gave a little shiver, and Draco realized that he was still holding her jacket. He stepped around behind her, and helped her to slide into it. Then he turned her to face him, and looked down into her face.

"Are we okay?" Her answer was a gentle kiss on his lower lip, and a smile. He returned her smile, then asked her with a teasing lilt,

"Well then, care to tell me what you were going to say earlier?" She blushed slightly, though it might have been from the cold wind that had picked up and was sweeping little snow flurries along the Grounds. The sounds from the school were closed away behind the thick front doors, and any sounds of nature were washed down by the soft whoosh of the wind. The snow was crystalline, and shone in the midday sun, so bright it seemed to sparkle all around them. Hermione was reminded of a winter wonderland, and the most wonderful part of it all was that she was here with the man that she loved.

"Draco, I was going to tell you that…" She had to clear her throat before she could continue, "I was going to tell you that I love you."

"Say it again." His voice was low, almost a whisper, and there seemed to be some catch in his breathing. She smiled up at him.

"I love you Draco." He pulled her closer to him, and she felt the shudder go through his frame.

"I love you too Hermione. You have no idea how much I love you." Then he pressed an ardent kiss to her lips, and felt her wrap her arms around his neck. He placed a hand at her waist, and dragged her even closer, wanting to keep her near, always.


	17. Ch17: Tea Time Troubles

Chapter 17: Tea Time Troubles

"'Mione? Hermione?" A hand waved in front of Hermione's face. She blinked several times to refocus her eyes on the person in front of her. Red hair and freckles became clear, and Hermione shook herself out of her reverie and turned her attention back to Ron.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Ron smiled at her bemused expression.

"We've been talking to you for the past ten minutes. Where've you been?" Harry and Ginny laughed as Ron teased Hermione. She had been staring absently out the window when a flash of blonde hair went past the front of Honeydukes Candy Shop. Hermione was worried about this evening. She was supposed to have dinner with Draco and his mother tonight at the Three Broomsticks.

"Oh Ron, there's no use in it. She's not on this planet with us." Ginny's teasing remark broke into Hermione's thoughts, and she looked around at her friends. They were there for her, they would understand her fears.

"I'm just feeling nervous. I'm sorry if I seem a little spacey. I've just got a lot going on in my mind right now." Her apology made Harry grimace and look away. She got the feeling he wasn't overly pleased with her decision to join the Malfoy family for tea. Ginny wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, and looked at Hermione with shining eyes.

"You'll be fine, 'Mione. There's no way that you can truly be nervous about meeting Narcissa. She's just a woman."

Ron laughed outright.

"Right. 'Just a woman'? More like a snobby rich lady who might eat her." He teased Hermione lightheartedly, and she gave him a sort of awkward smile.

"Watch what you say about my mother, Weasley. I'm not above hexing you to defend my family honor." Draco lazily threatened, as he approached them. Ron's ears turned red, and he became very interested in a display of giant candy canes.

"Family honor? Now that's something new." Harry quipped, his words lightly edged in poison. Ginny swatted at her boyfriend, but Draco merely smiled at them.

"Go on and have a laugh, Potter. I'll admit that my family has a strange sense of honor, but she is my mother, and I'll not have you or your friends mouthing off on her." He took up Hermione's hand, and looked her over. She was anxious and fretful, and fidgeted with her hair.

"Hermione, are you worried about this?" Though she shook her head, Draco knew she was terrified. He didn't know when he had gotten so good at reading her like one of her beloved books, but she was not quite ready for this meeting with his mother.

He looked questioningly at her friends. Harry shrugged and frowned, before walking away to inspect a glass case of Cockroach Clusters. Ron still hadn't turned away from the candy canes, but Ginny met his eyes. Her look of sympathy spoke volumes, and he gave her a tiny smile and nod then pulled the unenthusiastic Hermione out of the store.

She shivered a little in the icy wind, and he tugged her jacket better around her. He looked up and down the busy street in Hogsmeade. There was still about an hour and a half before they were supposed to meet his mother at the Three Broomsticks, and he wanted to be alone with Hermione. It would seem that Hermione had the same idea, because she began to walk down the street toward the edge of town.

He wasn't sure where they were going, but figured that Hermione had some semblance of their direction, because she just kept walking. With her hand still held tightly in his, he followed her through the snow drifted High Street, past the shops and houses with their windows frosted over in the cold weather. Finally, they were through the main part of the village, and Draco looked around with interest. The end of the lane came upon them quickly, and Hermione did not stop. She kept them going in the direction of the mountain that loomed over Hogsmeade in all its icy finery.

He asked her once where they were going, but when she did not reply, he held his tongue. She must have something in mind, to drag them all this way. At last, there was a tiny overhang in the rocks, and she maneuvered them under it. The dirt was dry and sheltered from the wind and the light sprinkling of snow that had begun only a few minutes before. Hermione huddled into a corner of the alcove, and Draco sat himself down carefully.

He didn't want to appear too mussed when they went to see his mother. He truly wanted her to love Hermione as he did, and to garner her best opinion, Draco would have walked through fire. Hermione pulled out her wand and muttered something, blue flames pouring out of her wand tip and settling themselves into a nice little fire in front of them. It did not put off very much light, but it produced enough heat that Hermione relaxed a bit, and settled back against the rock wall behind them. Draco scooted himself around the flames and sat beside her. She put her head on his shoulder, and Draco wrapped his arms around her in response.

"What was all this about, love? Are you that worried about meeting my mum?"

"Yes, Draco, I want her to like me. I'm just – I'm afraid that she won't because I'm a-"

"Hermione, my mother is not going to dislike you simply because you are a Muggle-born witch. She did have to stop a moment to allow the thought sink in, the idea that I could possibly be in love with a Muggle-born was new to her. Yet, she is here, is she not? She wants to meet you, and get to know you, simply because I love you. That's what matters to her, 'Mione." He drew a breath and realized something that had never really occurred to him before. "All my mother has ever wanted was for me to be happy."

He tipped Hermione's face up to meet his, and looked down seriously into her worried brown eyes.

"You make me happier than I have ever been. Happier than I ever thought I could be. If she is as intelligent as I think she is, then my mother will see that, and she will love you for it."

This seemed to relieve Hermione greatly, because she pressed herself into Draco's embrace flirtatiously. He bent his head slightly and captured her lips. He loved to sit like this with her and just kiss. She was always so sweet, and tasted a bit like candied apples.

While they hadn't progressed much farther than snogging, Draco couldn't complain too much. He didn't want to rush her, even if he did feel sort unfulfilled lately. Not because he thought that she was lacking, but more from the overwhelming feeling of being sexually frustrated, and the only woman who would do was still such an innocent. However, her innocence seemed to be misplaced this afternoon, as Hermione shocked him by shoving a hand under his coat and inside his sweater. Her fingers were chilled, but warmed quickly against his skin. He pulled back slightly and looked down into her eyes.

"Hermione?" He whispered, and her expression was clouded by passion. He'd never seen her quite this way before, and found himself stunned by the absolute feral beauty of her look.

"Draco, kiss me. I was so worried, but you set me at ease, so just stop talking and kiss me already!" Then she pulled him towards her and set about ravishing his mouth. He had originally been impressed by her steadfast effort to learn how he liked to be kissed, it tripled when she put all her hard-practiced knowledge to work. She nipped his lips, and dallied her tongue in the corners of his mouth. When he parted his lips for her insistent tongue, she swallowed his growl of pleasure.

Draco couldn't keep still any longer. His hands found their way between the open front of her heavy jacket and up under her blouse in record time. She shivered a little when his cold hands met her warm flesh, and moaned quietly when he used that cold to his advantage on the underside of her breasts. He could feel the soft cotton of her bra, and his heart swelled, wanting to see how beautiful she looked in only her underwear. As soon as the image had taken root, another part of his anatomy swelled with anticipation.

He tugged his hands free in order to divest her of her coat, before his fingers began fumbling with the buttons on her soft green blouse. Hermione tipped her head back slightly, her soft pants for breath making tiny little clouds in the air. Draco took advantage of the situation, by nibbling and kissing his way down the side of her neck and lowering her backward to lie on the ground. He cushioned her head with her coat, and helped her to straighten out her legs underneath him.

He laid half on top of her, not wanting to rush, but not wanting to stop. Hermione didn't seem to mind, and set to removing his jacket and sweater as well. He paused in his attempt at opening her shirt to strip his up and over his head, flinging them over her to settle on the ground somewhere. He no longer cared about his appearance when they got to his mother, all he wanted to be as close to Hermione as humanly possible.

He finally managed to get all the buttons loose from their closures, and leaned back slightly to look down on her form as he moved the shirt aside. Her breasts were not too small, but not too big, and fit into his hands perfectly. She was wearing a mint green bra, and it cupped her flesh like a lover would. Thinking this, Draco pressed his hands over her supple breasts. She shivered at the contact, and licked her lips. He leaned in to press a kiss to her collarbone, then trailed little nipping kisses like it down over the tops of her breasts and moved toward her nipple.

When he wrapped his lips around the tiny, cotton- enveloped bud, Hermione cried out in astonished pleasure. Draco stopped moving, and looked up at her face. She had her eyes shut tightly, and had pressed a hand into his hair at the back of his head. From all accounts she was enjoying this. He sucked lightly and nibble a bit, making her squirm and moan. Then he moved his attentions to her other nipple and repeated the treatment. The soft cotton of her bra didn't last long in the warm, wet heat of his mouth, and the cold air tightened her neglected nipple even more.

Draco shifted his hips slightly, becoming uncomfortably aware that they would have to stop soon, or he was most likely going to disgrace himself. He didn't want to put an end to their most enjoyable activity, but he knew that he didn't want their first time together to be like this. Plus they had to meet his mother soon. Drawing back slowly, Draco kissed his way back up her chest to her lips and gave her one last, fierce kiss, before pulling away and sitting up. Hermione's eyes flew wide open at his retreat, and frowned at him. He had to smile at the adorable way her eyebrows crinkled, and her cheeks were flushed from the cold and their heat.

"Why'd you stop?" She murmured, confusion emanating from her lust-befuddled mind. He kissed her forehead, and looked around for his clothes.

"We've got to get going, my love. We still have to walk back into town, and we're supposed to meet my mum in-" he looked down at his watch, "just under half an hour."

Alarm raced through her as her worries came rushing back. Scrambling to sit up, fasten her blouse and fix her hair all at once, Hermione hit her head on a piece of rock jutting out from their shelter. She groaned in pain, and felt a warm hand searching through her hair to find the sore spot. Her breath hitched when Draco brushed it with his well-intentioned fingers. Then his fingers were gone and replaced by the tip of his wand. Hermione held very still, unsure what he was planning on doing. He muttered softly under his breath, and just like that, all the pain vanished. Hermione could even feel the bump receding, and doubted highly that there would even be a bruise to show for her encounter with the side of the mountain. When he sat back, Hermione looked at him again.

"Where did you learn a healing spell like that? That wasn't in any of our textbooks." He chuckled softly at her questioning, and pulled his sweater into place. There was a wet spot on the front of it, where it had landed in a pile of snow, and he steamed it off with his wand.

"Trust my 'Mione to be more worried about the spell I used and what book I got it out of than the fact that she nearly concussed herself with a mountain." Hermione had the good grace to blush and finished fastening her blouse. It was a little wrinkled, but with a swirl of her wand was set to rights.

"Thank you for doing it. I just wondered, because it doesn't really seem like the sort of thing that they would teach Slytherins. It seems more of a Hufflepuff thing to me." He looked at oddly as he brushed his hand through his hair, settling it back into place.

"Why wouldn't they teach that to Slytherins? We're humans too, we get hurt."

"I didn't mean it like that, I just never really thought about it. It's more that Hufflepuffs are that sort of soft-hearted personality that lends to them learning more about healing magic. I didn't mean to imply anything offensive by it." Draco ran a hand down her cheek, before helping her climb to her feet. Hermione extinguished their fire with a flick of her wand.

"I know. If you must know, it was one of the first things I ever learned, as far as magic goes. My mother used to use it on me when I got hurt, and it sort of stuck in my memory. It's really easy to do." He gave her a sidelong glance, and offered, "I could show it to you one of these days, especially if you help me with my Patronus charm. I happened to overhear you talking to Ginny one day about it. An otter right?"

Hermione smiled up at him, "You've been spying on me, have you?" Then she laughed. "But yes, my Patronus is an otter. Dreadfully clever creatures, you know. And so cute." She giggled and he grinned.

"So, exactly like you then?" He teased, and they began their descent back down to the village. She tucked her hand into his, and gave it a gentle squeeze. He looked down at her, a silly half-smile on his lips. He had never seen her so silly before. Stubborn, yes. Thoughtful, all the time. Studious, non stop. But he'd never seen her giggly and so flirtatious like this before.

He wondered if it was because of her lack of nerves that her guard was down, or if it had something more to do with the exchange up on the mountain. Either way, Draco decided he liked this side of his Hermione just as much as he loved her other facets of personality. She was beautiful anyway she was, and this just lent some added cuteness to her demeanor.

As they walked back towards the Three Broomsticks, they chatted about little insignificant things, and he flirted with her. For not really having had much experience with it, Draco was pleasantly surprised with how well she held her own against his charm. He'd always known she was smart as a tack, but it was a delight to have her wit used in a more flattering way than he'd been privy to before. It was beginning to get dark out as they entered the Three Broomsticks and went upstairs. His mother, not one for dining with the masses, had taken out a suite of rooms, and they would be having tea with her there. Draco knocked on the door to his mother's rooms, leaning toward Hermione to whisper,

"My mum won't eat you, but I can't make the same promises for myself." She giggled softly, and bit her lip, grinning widely. He was contemplating pulling her closer for a quick kiss when the door opened. Hermione looked past him into the warm, welcoming sitting area, and gave him a soft nudge forward to recall his attention to the situation at hand. He turned and straightened.

Narcissa Malfoy stood on the other side of the doorway, smiling at them. It was a relief to see her smiling, so much so that Draco actually forgot for a moment that he'd been so worried about his mother. He ushered Hermione into the room ahead of him. Then he turned to his mother, and gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her skin was smooth, and pale, but not so much so that he was worried about her not eating. She also had a graceful air that had been missing the last time he'd seen her. He presented his girlfriend to his mother.

"Mum, I'd like you to meet the reason I have no heart, Miss Hermione Granger. 'Mione, this is my mother, Narcissa Malfoy." Both women looked at his strangely, but it was Hermione who found words first.

"Why am I the reason you have no heart, Draco?" She sounded teasing, but her face tensed slightly at his proclamation. He turned a dazzling smile on her.

"Because you went and stole it, of course."

Narcissa laughed softly, and Hermione smiled, relaxing her shoulders. Then his mother turned to Hermione and extended a long-fingered hand. Hermione shook it gently, and returned her smile.

"Welcome Hermione, it is so wonderful to meet you. I have heard some very good things about you." Then she led the way to the table set up nearby and they all sat down.

Draco made sure to pull out the ladies' chairs for them, and was flustered when his mother gave him a look, her eyebrow raised in question. He realized then that his unusually gentlemanly manners were more to impress Hermione than his mother, and Draco colored slightly, seating himself in a hurry. He didn't need to impress Hermione; she already loved him the way that he was. Narcissa poured the tea and handed a cup to Hermione who accepted it with thanks.

"That's a lovely brooch you are wearing, Mrs. Malfoy. Is that emerald?" Hermione ventured quietly suddenly very unsure of where to begin. Narcissa looked down at the brooch in question, then back at her young guest.

"Yes it is. It was a wedding gift to me from my mother. She received it from her mother when she was married."

"How sweet, I love family traditions like that." Hermione sighed. "Although it does sort of make me miss spending Christmas with my family."

"Do you have special things you normally do for the holidays?" Narcissa inquired politely, but not without interest.

"Yes, every year, my mum bakes gingerbread cookies, using my great-grandmother's recipe, and we used to all go out as a family to pick a Christmas tree together. My dad likes to try and sing carols on Christmas Eve, no matter how much mum and I try to persuade him not to, and then on Christmas morning, we would light up the tree and open our gifts together." Hermione's eyes took on a distant, sort of wistful look as she remembered. Draco smiled slightly.

"So, it's not really all that different than how we used to spend our Christmas." He said quietly, suddenly longing for him and Hermione to have those same special family traditions. _Him and Hermione, have traditions as a family?_ He didn't know why the thought didn't startle him. Perhaps it was because he already felt like they had so much going for them; there was no way he could bear to be without her.

Hermione talked to his mum for some time over the importance of family and traditions, and being together with those you loved, especially at the holidays. He could tell that his mother was skeptical of Hermione's view point at first, since it so greatly resembled that of their family. But as she kept speaking, it showed that Narcissa had come to realize that Hermione wasn't trying to impress by adopting her views, she was merely speaking from her heart.

Narcissa could also tell that her son was paying very close attention to every word that fell from the brunette witch before her. He was so attentive that he bypassed his favorite sweets sitting on the table in front of him, in favor of listening and watching this young woman speak. She was fluent, and had an excellent vocabulary, expressing herself clearly, and without much ado. She was a little bushy-haired, and if Narcissa hadn't seen the spark of intelligence, she would have thought her unassuming and a bit plain.

But the more Hermione spoke, the more Narcissa grew to like her, and could see for herself the beauty that had so captured Draco. He had chosen well for himself, and she was proud of how well her son had turned out.

Hermione realized not long after she had been sitting there, that she rather liked Mrs. Malfoy. For one who had always seemed so proud and distant, it was a pleasant surprise to find her so warmly receiving. She had seemed a touch reticent when Hermione had first begun the conversation, but after a few minutes of their sharing opinions, Narcissa had opened up and warmed to the topic, and her guest. Draco was remaining silent, the better to allow her to talk to his mother, Hermione assumed, because every now and then he would add his own thoughts, and then fall silent again.

It began to grow late, and when the clock on the mantelpiece chimed the hour, Hermione was shocked to see how quickly time had flown by. Narcissa looked up at the clock as well. Sighing softly, she looked back at the young couple.

"I suppose I should allow you two to get back up to the castle. I wouldn't want you to be too late getting back, and the later it gets the more dangerous it is to be out and about. It's already dark." Draco got to his feet at a look from his mother, and helped Hermione out of her chair and into her coat.

"Thank you so much for inviting me, Mrs. Malfoy. I really had quite a wonderful time, and it was very sweet of you to include me." Hermione smiled, and extended her hand in farewell. Narcissa brushed it away, giving Hermione a tentative hug instead.

"Nonsense, my dear girl. It is I who must thank you. I have not seen my Draco so happy, and it pleases me to no end to know that he has such an incredible young woman as yourself to keep him company. He's been so terribly depressed since his father went away. We both have, and it's a miracle that you've rendered here. I haven't seen him smile so much in as long as I can recall."

Hermione, unsure of how to respond, merely hugged Nariccsa back, adding in a whisper to the older woman,

"It's no trouble at all. He's a wonderful young man, and has done his fair share of cheering me up as well."

They said thank you and goodbyes again, and then Draco and Hermione bustled out into the cold night air. It was not snowing, and the wind wasn't overly fierce, making for a soft, pleasant walk back towards the castle. The moon came out from behind a cloud, and the beams reflected off the snow, making it sparkle and brighten their path. Draco tucked an arm about Hermione's waist.

"I had a really great time tonight, Draco. Thank you so much." Draco squeezed her closer in a half-hug as they kept moving.

"Don't thank me; my mum was the one who thought of it. But I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. She truly likes you, you know. My mother doesn't just hug anybody. You've really gotten her to love you."

"I like your mother. I can see why someone would be intimidated by her, but she's really such a lovely woman. I think that we get along really well!"

"I'm thrilled to hear that. I have reason to believe that you and she will be spending more time together in the future."


	18. Ch18: The Christmas Quarrel

Chapter 18: The Christmas Quarrel

_A/N: Only one more chapter after this, and I apologize for the length of time it has taken me to complete this story. Luckily, it's a goal of mine to finish all of the stories I started last year and never finished, so lots more from me to come!_

Christmas morning dawned bright and clear, with the early morning sun glistening on the fresh-fallen snow across the expansive grounds of Hogwarts. The world seemed to almost hold its breath, reveling in the beauty of the sparkle and shimmer of the delicate crystals of ice in the eaves, and the almost ethereal melody of the light breeze as it whistled through the tree tops. A lone sound shattered the glorying silence, that of a cheerful tune being whistled slightly off-key, followed by the sound of large feet crunching in the snow as Hagrid made his way up to the castle with a very large sack over one shoulder.

Hermione rolled over in bed, blinking sleepily, and marveling that it could be Christmas already. Tonight the entire school would dine as one in the Great Hall, but for now, there was little more to do than to simply lie here under the heavy warmth of her red and gold comforter and wake up slowly.

Eventually that little voice that egged at her for being so lazy got the better of her, and Hermione stretched her arms above her head languidly and sat up. There was a pile of gifts at her feet, as there was every year, and she smiled happily to herself. Slipping into her robe and gathering up the gifts, she slipped from the otherwise empty bedroom, and padded down thehallway to Ginny's room.

Gryffidor Tower was all but deserted this year, as the scare that the rest of the Wizarding World felt at the havoc of Lord Voldemort's return had caused most of the students to rush home to their families. Hermione had discussed the possibility with her parents, but it had been far easier to convince them to allow her to stay than it would have to have her home. Much as she loved her parents, she wished that they would stay as far removed as possible from the hazardous situation.

Ginny was just rolling herself out of bed when Hermione tapped on the door, and together with their unwrapped gifts went down into the Common Room. A few minutes later, a tousled-looking Ron came down, saw them sitting patiently in the armchairs with their gifts, then dashed back upstairs to get Harry, looking much more awake then he had a moment before.

It had been mutually decided that they would all open their presents together, and Ron was never one to want to delay in said activity whenever possible.

Once Harry and Ron had joined them, the gift-opening happened in quick succession. Regardless of the fear and anxiety of the coming year, mindless of the rapidly approaching battle between Good and Evil, the four of them sat in happy circle in front of the Common Room fire, tearing at wrapping paper with a childish delight. Hermione was glowing over a large tome of tales about some ancient hero, written in a rather obscure language, that Harry had given her when a tiny rapping noise at the window caught her attention. Ginny jumped up and opened the window, admitting a beautiful tawny owl with large brown eyes. The owl fluttered gracefully in, and settled itself next to Hermione's knee, extending the leg which had a scroll of parchment attached to it by a slim green ribbon. Carefully extracting the note, Hermione gently brushed a finger along the owl's head.

"Aren't you a lovely creature?" she murmured, before turning her attention to the letter. The owl watched her speculatively as Hermione's eyes scanned across the page.

_Happy Christmas, 'Mione. Lilith is a beautiful bird, don't you think? I know she'll do well for you, and since you don't have one of your own… I know you'll take excellent care of her, as you do with everything you do._

_See you at breakfast, love._

_-Draco_

"Lilith," the name was befitting of the gorgeous bird, and the owl responded to the sound of her name by settling her feathers with a rather regal countenance. Hermione glanced up to see her friends staring at her with a mix of emotions playing across their faces.

Ginny was at first confused, but then her eyes lit up, and there seemed to be a hint of laughter bubbling in their warm brown depths. She looked very much as if she was attempting to suppress giggles.

Ron was flicking his gaze between the owl, the letter still in Hermione's hand, and then Hermione's face, as if he was putting all the pieces together in his head. Carefully, his fingers extended to stroke along the glossy feathers of one of Lilith's wings, earning him an adoring look from the bird. Hermione smothered a smile, and turned to look at Harry.

His expression was guarded, then he caught Hermione's eye and tersely nodded, as if he wasn't really sure how to respond. She bit her lip and looked back down at the owl, as she scooted decidedly closer to the admiring petting of Ron and Ginny.

"Well, I have to hand it to him, at least, Hermione," Harry commented quietly as they watched Ron cooing at the bird softly.

"What's that?"

"I know that he's got good taste in his choice of brunettes," Harry conceded grudgingly, but a small smile played at his lips. Hermione flushed, and beamed at him, hugging him rather suddenly and with a great amount of rib-crushing force that Harry usually attributed to Hagrid. He hugged her back for a moment, patting her awkwardly on the back, then carefully disengaged himself.

"Well, I'm going to go get dressed," Harry said as he pushed himself to his feet. He paused to kiss Ginny rather soundly, before presenting her with a small package and a leafy twig bearing white berries. "Somehow I get the impression that Hermione is suddenly very ready to get to breakfast."

Hermione blushed again, but didn't disagree.

*~*~*~*~*~*

As Hermione and Ginny made their way back up to the girl's dormitory, Hermione poked at Ginny about the gift from Harry. Ginny blushed furiously, but carefully peeled open the wrapping as soon as they were safely in her room. Lilith glided gracefully to perch on the footboard of one of the beds.

Ginny gasped as a delicate necklace was revealed inside the box. A soft purple stone hung suspended from a thin gold chain. It was, by both their accounts, quite a beautiful necklace, and Hermione quickly helped her friend to fasten it around her neck.

"He has grown up some, hasn't he?" Hermione commented quietly as Ginny admired her new jewelry in the mirror. Ginny's soft brown eyes caught hers in the reflection.

"Harry isn't as bad as he was, no. He still has a ways to go, but yes, he's certainly matured." Suddenly Ginny's face tightened, and a worried note in her voice struck a chord of empathy in Hermione. "Do you think he's ready, 'Mione?"

"I don't think that's something we can judge, Gin… that's something that's going to have to come from Harry's heart. But do I think he has a good chance? Yes, I hope most sincerely that he does." Ginny nodded, hearing the wisdom in Hermione's words, but the slightly haunted look in her eyes didn't disappear until they had rejoined the boys, and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Draco was waiting rather impatiently for them at the bottom of the stairs, and when they arrived, he let out a gruff sort of good morning to the others, before sweeping Hermione close for a warm hug and a kiss. It startled her a little to have him be so openly affectionate, and in the full view of every student who walked past them. Normally they kept their love out of the public eye, and that had been by both of their mutual understanding. When he pulled back, she was startled by the grim set of his lips and the dark shadows under his eyes. Something was wrong, terribly wrong, but before she could ask what it was, they were swept into the Great Hall.

As per Hogwarts tradition, twelve huge trees glittered with fairy lights and large shining balls, there was garland and wreaths scattered everywhere, and it seemed you couldn't go much more than ten feet without seeing another bunch of mistletoe floating not far above their heads. Hannah from Hufflepuff caught up with them as they were making their way to one of the three large tables remaining in the Great Hall. The high table where the teachers usually sat was gone, and the houses appeared to be mingling on this most joyous of holidays.

"Happy Christmas everyone," Hannah greeted them with her customary cheerful smile, before going slightly pink and glancing at Ron. "Happy Christmas, Ron."

He seemed to be taken slightly aback by her singling him out, but quickly smiled and returned her greeting. Then Harry grinned suddenly, and nudged him in the side, pointing at something directly above Hannah's head. They all looked up curiously to see a bunch of mistletoe hovering there. Hannah's pink cheeks glowed brighter as Ron blinked once, then leaned in with a small smile and kissed her gently. Hannah dipped her head as he pulled back and bit her lip.

"Would you like to sit with me for breakfast?" she asked him quietly, and Ron took her hand carefully before walking off with her.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," Hermione commented dryly as they moved to find four seats together at one of the long, crowded tables. Draco was holding her hand tightly in his, and she could almost sense a strange tension rolling off him, but she didn't know how to get him apart from the group to talk to him properly.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked as they pushed past the Weasley twins holding court over a group of astonished looking first and second years as they regaled them with some tale of heroic roguery. They waved and called a warm greeting, which was returned.

"Hannah and Ron," Hermione responded as if they hadn't just been separated by a couple minutes and several students. "I thought it would have taken a lot more than a dance and an enchanted bush of greenery."

"Oh?" Harry wondered, "Did you have something to do with the mistletoe?"

Hermione merely rolled her eyes at him, and Ginny giggled behind her hand.

As they ate, it was a jovial time, and even though he said little in his seat next to her, even Draco seemed to feel the holiday spirit. His subdued demeanor was enough to dampen Hermione's good humour with worry, but there was little chance for them to excuse themselves until after they were all done eating. As soon as they were through, Hermione tugged gently on Draco's hand and smiled briefly at Harry and Ginny, pulling her boyfriend along through the dispersing chaos of breakfasting students. She led him out into the brisk morning sunlight, and toward the tree beside the lake.

It was cold, but the sun came down on them and reflected off the partially frozen lake and the powdery snow that covered the ground in a soft, white blanket. She stopped them right beneath the boughs of the tree, and turned to face Draco.

"Now, then, what's wrong?" She demanded. Draco looked pained, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her closely.

"Do we have to talk about this right now, 'Mione?" his whisper sounded harsh, and Hermione was suddenly very worried.

"What? Yes, of course we do, Draco. Something is clearly bothering you, and I want to know what it is, right now."

"Please, 'Mione, don't make me say it," he pleaded and she started to shake. Something was beyond wrong here, and she didn't like the terrified tone in his voice. She leaned back to see his face. There was a deep-seated fear written in his eyes, and the same sad, tension to his face.

"Draco, please, you're starting to truly frighten me," she whispered, tears standing in her eyes for some reason she couldn't understand. He gripped her tighter to him, all but crushing her against him.

"I… I'm probably being ridiculous, but I can't lose you, Hermione." He finally said.

"Lose me? How would you-?" Her question was cut off by a fierce kiss, but this was a desperate sort of kiss, filled with an agony of loss and longing, and Hermione gripped Draco tightly, his emotions taking over her for a moment. After a few frantic moments, he pulled back and, wild-eyed, gulped in a deep breath.

"It was terrible, 'Mione. I was running along a long, dark corridor, and I could hear you screaming, but I couldn't get to you. Every time I would go through a door, another long hallway was there, and every door I tried was locked. I couldn't find you anywhere, and you just kept screaming my name, screaming for help. Something was hurting you and…" he trailed off to swallow convulsively as he struggled for composure.

Eyes wide, and heedless of cold, wet ground, Hermione drew him down to sit beside her, and held him in her arms as he struggled with his terror. She smoothed a hand across his forehead, and pressed a light kiss to his cheek.

"Draco, it was a nightmare. It's not real, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm safe, and you're here with me." She murmured soothing little things to him for nearly five minutes before he started to hear her, and calmed himself down. There was a vaguely haunted look in his eyes as he regarded her though.

"You could be in serious danger, Hermione. The Dark Lord is not impartial to being selective in his victims, and you are too peculiar to him to miss his notice. I just don't want you to get hurt. You're not going to fight this battle. You can leave it to the others, and stay where you won't get injured or killed."

Hermione drew in a sharp breath. Now he was just being silly, because, while she knew the dangers, she was not going to spend the rest of her life in fear of what _could_ happen. She said as much to him in a rather scathing tone, causing him to bristle in instinctive indignation.

"I'm not being silly, I'm worried about your well-being, Hermione! You are too close to Potter, you're going to be an easy target. I don't think you should be so frivolous with your own life!"

"You don't think for one instant that I'd actually be pleased with the idea of dying, do you?" She retorted, her temper starting to get the better of her. "I happen to enjoy living, thank you very much. But I'm also not going to sit cowering in a corner while the people I love are out there, defending our world and fighting for what's right!"

"So you'd put your own safety at risk to get involved in some stupid fight?"

"You didn't always seem to think it was so stupid, Malfoy! You seemed to think it was a brilliant idea to cast out the Muggle-borns and let the Purebloods rule the roost, from what I recall." She struck at him with barbed words, knowing that she was working herself up into a frothy heat, but she had to make him understand. She couldn't sit at home and worry all the time, and the only way she could do anything worthy of doing would be to pursue it.

"That was before I knew you," he retorted firmly, seething just as much as she was. "I don't think that way anymore. I was young and foolish, and I didn't see things too clearly." To hear him admitting to his faults so easily prodded at Hermione's conscience. She knew that he had grown out of that behavior, but it was one thing that she could fire at him.

"Oh, so your love for me changed a thought-process that you've had for the past 16 years? My, that was awfully quick of you." She got to her feet and pushed away from him. She couldn't bear to look at him right this second, knowing the pain she had just caused.

"You would doubt my love for you?" he asked in a small voice; calm and rational, as though there was nothing wrong, and they were discussing the coming of Spring. It hit her fully the force of her words, and the hairs on the back of Hermione's neck began to tingle. There was something oddly dangerous about that amiable tone.

"I wouldn't have to, except that what you're suggesting is that I stay away from people I care about, and far from the battle that we're all involved in. You can't swaddle me in cotton and lock me away, Draco." She turned to face him adamantly. He was staring at her through narrowed eyes as he stood up in front of her.

"And who's going to stop me from doing just that?" he challenged. She drew her wand, and pointed it directly at his chest; he stood so close that the tip of her wand was buried in his shirt, right above his heart. He was very still, and she glared up at him.

"I don't want to have to hurt you, Draco. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to stand by and watch my friends die, knowing I could do something to save them. And I'm sorrier still that you seem to have some aversion to that, but I'm not going to allow you to stand in my way." Her voice was quiet; the time for yelling had passed, but her tone was deadly serious. He looked down at her, understanding her conviction, but not liking it one bit.

"You're putting yourself at risk, for a bunch of people you don't even know," he warned. She shook her head, her long brown hair swishy angrily out behind her.

"No, I'm putting myself at risk for what I believe is right. That's all I have to go on, but it's all that really matters. The time will come when I will fight alongside my friends and my family, and the others who believe in the same things I do. Nothing you say or do will stop me, short of killing me yourself. Would you do that, Draco? Would you kill me now to stop me from potentially being destroyed later?"

"Of course not!" he gasped, as the idea of Hermione's death ripped through him like a poison dart. "I couldn't do it, even if I would."

She waved that away with a quick gesture of her free hand. "Let's set aside what you think you can and cannot do. Would you kill me now to stop someone else from doing it later on?"

"No," he was trembling with fear and rage at the thought of someone actually hurting his Hermione. "No, I would not. I love you too much."

"Very well," she withdrew her wand and slipped it away, "Then that's all settled. When the time comes, I will fight if I have to, and I will help Harry with whatever he needs until and after that. You're not going to stop me, and I will try my best not to be murdered on the battlefield." She smiled up at him, as if she had just won an argument. With a narrowed gaze, Draco realized that she had, indeed, just won. Moreover, their argument had distracted him from the terrified melancholy his nightmare had provoked. Suddenly, he laughed. She raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"Is this something I'm going to have to look forward to a lot in the future?" he asked her, taking her hand, and giving it a gentle squeeze. Hermione laced her fingers through his as they made their way back towards the castle.

"What's that?"

"You, winning arguments. Are you going to do this for the rest of our lives?" He was still laughing, and missed the surprised look on Hermione's face before she covered it with a quick smile.

"Most probably, yes." Then she leaned in to give him a quick kiss and they went back inside.

*~*~* Several hours later *~*~*

As they all poured out of the Great Hall, Hermione felt a warm hand wrap around her waist. Draco kissed her cheek, and smiled goofily down at her. His earlier dour disposition was gone, and they had all just enjoyed a very happy Christmas feast together. Ron and Hannah were moving towards a darkened corner of the Entrance Hall, speaking quietly with one another.

Hermione thought that they made a very cute couple, both of them a bit shy, but Hannah was quickly learning to cope with Ron's bashfulness, and vice versa. It didn't hurt matters that Hannah quickly ingratiated herself with the rest of their little motley crew. She was easily liked, and had an honest disposition about her that made it easy to have her around without it being a strain on everyone involved when she and Ron would end up blushing at one another from across the table.

"Dinner was very good," Draco murmured in her ear, his breath fanning out to tickled at her hair and neck. "What's say we find ourselves a dark corner as well, and think about dessert?"

Hermione giggled, feeling a little giddy after the cheerful effects of the holiday, and poked him playfully in the side.

"People will notice if we just disappear together, Draco."

"No we won't, 'Mione," Ginny grinned, holding Harry's hand. "I promise to close my eyes and distinctly _not_ notice you two slipping away." Then she winked, and closed her eyes, and angelic look of innocence on her face. Harry snorted back laughter, and shook his head at the other two.

"You guys go on, I have a feeling that my little ginger cat needs to get some rest. The holidays are making her silly." Ginny's eyes flew open with a blaze of embarrassment.

"Harry! I told you not to call me that where other people could hear!" She was blushing to her roots, but a pleased little smile played across her lips. He was goading her with other ridiculous nicknames, such as "love muffin" and "sweet pea" as they made their way up the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower. Hermione stared after them, marveling at the drastic change that love could render in people. The thought made her turn to contemplate the man at her side.

"I think dessert sounds like a lovely idea," she smiled shyly up at him. His eyebrows raised in a half-surprised glance. Hermione looked seriously up at him, and he asked her a question with his eyes, which she answered with a light kiss.

"Shall I meet you in the usual spot? Say, in about fifteen minutes? There's something I want to do beforehand." He offered, and she nodded, suddenly feeling very shy about her acceptance of 'dessert' with Draco. She knew he wouldn't push her, and that he would never hurt her, but she didn't think she wanted to stop him when things got too heatedly progressing tonight. The thought made her blush almost as much as Ginny, and with a puzzled expression as to its cause, Draco leaned in to kiss her properly.

Unlike this morning, this kiss held a promise of warmer things to come, and when they finally parted, Hermione was pleased to see that she was not the only one going pink and breathing hard.

Humming to herself, she watched Draco descend the stairs toward the Slytherin Dungeons, and went up towards the Prefect's bathroom. She failed to see the three shadows who slipped into the passageway behind her, and so lost in her little daydream was she that she didn't take immediate notice of them until one cut around her and blocked off her path.

"What do you want?"


	19. Ch19: It All Ends Here

_A/N: Well, this was fun! I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who was so kind as to take the time to read and review! It's because of your support that I finally got off my bum and finished the damn story! ^_^ _

_Also, a quick note, because this is the last chapter, I upped the rating a bit. This one gets graphically sexual, so please be forewarned. And lastly, enjoy!_

Chapter 19: It All Ends Here

"What do you want?" Hermione wasn't frightened, just a little unsettled. She hadn't meant to be so oblivious to her surroundings, and this was exactly the reason why.

_Honestly, Hermione,_ she chastised herself, _In these uncertain times especially, you need to take better care!_ She glanced back over her shoulder at the two hulking brutes behind her. They were definitely blocking off any other route, not that she was really considering running off, but it also made it harder for reinforcements, if they were to try and help her. Ruefully realizing her folly, Hermione slipped a hand into the pocket where she kept her wand.

"Expelliarmus!" The figure in front of her cried out with a hysterical note. Hermione's wand went flying over the figure's shoulder, and then the person stepped forward a little, making it clearer to see her.

Pansy Parkinson's face was a mottled expression of fury and jealous rage. She brandished her wand with an ugly sneer that was probably permanently etched into her face, and laughed at Hermione.

"You didn't think I'd actually let you get away with it, did you, you filthy little Mudblood?"

"I'm quite sure I have no idea what you're talking about, Pansy." Hermione raised her chin and stared down the other girl. She may have been unarmed, but she wasn't the type to give in, and Pansy had done her no favors in the past.

"You bitch!" Pansy spat at her, "Like you don't know! You've gone and bewitched him with your clever little love spells and made him think that he doesn't love me anymore!"

"Pansy," Hermione said reasonably, "I'm sure that you've got it all wrong. After all, it's illegal to use love potions, and who would I have enchanted anyway? It's hardly worth my time."

"Draco is worth five of you! No, ten, a hundred! You're nothing but a filthy bitch, and he's a Pureblood; a Malfoy!" Pansy screeched, furiously waving her wand around. A small voice inside Hermione's head told her that she was clearly dealing with a very unbalanced Slytherin girl.

"Oh, are we talking about Draco?" Hermione answered lazily, her eyes furtively glancing around the darkened corridor for a means of escape, or a weapon to protect herself, or both.

"Yes! My Draco was devoted to me, and then came along and for whatever evil reason took him from me with your illegal potions and charms! Well, no more. I'm taking back what is mine, and you're going to pay for it dearly, you little Mudblood bitch. We're going to make it so that not even that stupid little Weasley boy will want to give you a second glance." Then she slowly approached, and Hermione almost felt as if the walls were closing in on her when she realized that the hulking forms in the shadows behind her were Crabbe and Goyle and advancing on her. Pansy swung her wand out with a waspish snarling; using a spell that Hermione had never heard, but knew was probably not very pleasant. She ducked beneath the other girl's arm, and stumbled down the hall a few steps.

There were crashing noises behind her as Pansy slashed her wand at everything and anything she could reach, screaming insults and obscenities all the while, her blind fury making her a dangerously unsettled opponent. Hermione needed to get to her wand and quickly. She was more or less helpless without it. Pansy must have realized what she was trying to do, because she changed her tact.

"You'll never mean anything more to him than a little plaything, you know. That's what he does to women, Draco, he plays with you, makes you believe that he loves you, and then as soon as he's had his fill he flings you away and pretends like you don't exist." Her words, poison that they were, were spoken with too much regret, too much pain for Hermione to ignore as mere vitriolic.

"You're wrong about him, Pansy. I don't think you know him at all." If she could just keep Pansy talking long enough to get to her wand…

"Oh, no, I know my Drakey, and he would never, and I mean _never_ take up with a filthy Mudblood slut like you unless it was all for the piece of ass he could get. Maybe he thought you were a challenge. Topple the ivory tower that was Hermione Granger." She laughed ruthlessly, and more things fell behind Hermione as she stumbled along, trying to see in the dusky, infrequent lighting.

_Just a little farther…come on, another step or two…_but Hermione went down hard as the great bulk of one of the Slytherins crashed her to the ground. She felt her teeth bite down into her lip, and the pain caused tears to well up unbidden, blurring her vision. She let out an involuntary yelp as whoever it was lying on top of her yanked on her hair hard and managed to pull a chunk of it free. Hermione couldn't think through the searing pain in her ribs, it was as if something very hot was stabbing her in the side.

With a start, she realized that it was her wand. Carefully, she tried to reach down, but her arm was caught and dragged up hard behind her back. She felt something snap, and then a searing numbness ran through her shoulder as her arm broke. She yelled again, trying to dislodge her attacker. Suddenly a very angry voice from the other end of the hallway shouted,

"Expelliarmus!" And the person on her back flew off as if struck with a large bat. Goyle slumped down against the opposite end of the corridor, unconscious from the blast. Pansy screamed, then started to simper.

"Oh Drakey! Thank goodness you're here! This evil little Mudblood was trying to kill me, I swear she was!" The grating sound of Pansy's voice carved its way through Hermione's astonished gasping; once the weight had been removed, she could breathe again. Her anger caught her up, and she grabbed her wand as she jumped to her feet and whirled around. Her arm was outstretched and her wand shooting off little sparks of annoyance, ready to defend herself against Crabbe and Pansy at a moment's notice.

Draco stood at one end of the hallway, his face half-hidden in the shadows, and he stared with contempt around him at the mess Pansy had created. Hermione was stepping closer, heated temper in her every movement. Crabbe backed away quickly, stumbling over a torn tapestry, and falling back to crash his head against the wall. Pansy yelled at him.

"Get up, you moron! You're supposed to be taking care of her!" Then she stopped and looked at Draco, fear written across her features for the first time. "I mean, you're supposed to be protecting me." She back-pedaled lamely, but Draco shook his head and looked at Hermione.

"'Mione, are you all right?"

"I'll be better if I can deal with this on my own, Draco." Her eyes narrowed with distaste as she examined Pansy, still moving closer in tiny little steps. Her right leg hurt, and her head was pounding from getting hit on the floor. She was fairly certain that her lip was bleeding, and that she had a slightly crazed look about her, but she didn't care.

"Hermione, love, put the wand down," Draco said, quite sensibly, considering the situation, "You don't want to hurt anyone."

"But who's to stop her from hurting me again?" Hermione demanded, her eyes never leaving Pansy's stricken face as the Gryffindor girl bore down on her, wand pointed directly at her heart. "She attacked me, called me names and was all but ready to kill me. Why shouldn't I do the same to her?"

"Because you're better than that," Draco pointed out quietly, though his tone held a note of suppressed amusement, as if he somehow found the image of the tall Pansy shivering in fear at the sight of the petite form of Hermione armed with a skinny stick of wood funny. Of course, he's seen what Hermione could do in a temper, and he knew that whatever she did would probably be nothing less than Pansy deserved, but even so, there was no use letting on that he knew that.

"So, by being a better woman than this," she gestured with her wand in Pansy's direction, the tip shooting off a small cascade of sparks dangerously close to Pansy's face. "I'm supposed to let her get away with it? Your logic is faulty, Draco."

"Oh, now I didn't say that. Go right ahead and punish her for her trespasses, by all means." He motioned lazily, and Pansy cried out in alarm.

"No! Drakey, you can't let her touch me! She's going to kill me!" Hermione gave Pansy a look of pure and utter disgust.

"Why would I bother to kill you? You're not worth my time." Then she muttered some incantation too low for Draco to catch, but whatever it was the effect was immediate. Pansy's eyes rolled back into her head, and her body slid back along the wall to collapse in a heap on the floor.

"What did you do?" Draco asked, still in that same lazily contemptuous tone. Hermione shrugged and brushed her hair out her face furiously.

"I put her to sleep with a fantasy. Well… really more of a nightmare." No sooner had she said this then Pansy's feet began to kick and squirm. Her eyelids fluttered as she turned her head from side to side in a frantic, unconscious reaction to whatever nastiness was being played out on the back of her eyelids. Draco smirked. He knew the terror that a good nightmare could instill and maybe that would teach Pansy not to mess with his 'Mione. He looked back at his girlfriend as she stood trembling slightly in the hallway.

He quickly went to her and caught her right before she fainted. She was almost nothing to lift and he hurried her to the Hospital Wing.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione's eyes opened slowly against the bright sunlight filtering in through a window near the bed she was lying in. At first her thought was that she had forgotten to close the drapes on the east side of her bed, but after a moment's contemplation she realized that she was not in Gryffindor Tower, but rather in the Hospital Wing, and that her left arm was bound and bandaged up to her torso. Her right hand was carefully lodged between a pale, slender hand, and her head was pounding slightly, but other than that, she couldn't feel anything else that was remotely unusual.

She blinked again, trying to remember how she ended up in the Hospital Wing, and her gaze followed the line of the hand that held hers so protectively, up an equally pale arm, and to the sleeping face of one Draco Malfoy. She gave a little gasp as the events of the previous night washed over her memory, and she tensed up. Draco's eyes flew open at the tiny sound, and he jerked upright.

"You're awake," he muttered unnecessarily, as he blearily rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Muddled," Hermione admitted quietly, "What happened?"

"You fainted. I think it was the pain in your arm that got you in the end." Then he smiled wolfishly. "But not until _after_ you'd dealt with Pansy."

Hermione sighed and leaned back against the pillows. "I wasn't too terrible, was I?"

"You were perfect," Draco whispered, still a little awed by his 'Mione's control and power. He'd always known she was a brilliant witch, but after hearing Madame Pomfrey's diagnosis of Pansy's condition, he would seriously have to think a second, and maybe even a third thought before he ever pissed Hermione off that way!

Hermione flushed slightly as his awestruck tone, and glanced away from him. She noticed that she was not the only one in the Hospital Wing, but that Madame Pomfrey was busily attending to both Crabbe and Goyle's minor wounds, and that there was a bed at the opposite end of the wing with the curtains drawn. As soon as she noticed it, a low groan came from behind the curtain, and Madame Pomfrey shot it a distracted glance before turning her attention to the newly awakened Hermione.

"And how are you feeling this morning, Miss Granger?" The nurse asked with concern.

"Fine, though my head is a little sore still." Hermione answered honestly, as Draco's eyes took on a stormy quality. Madame Pomfrey started to take the bandages off of Hermione's arm, as she commented.

"And no wonder why," here a dark glance went across the hospital wing to the curtained bed, "It's probably from the break in your arm, dear. You tore through a rather large muscle with bone. It's going to take a few days for that to heal properly, and I'd not be surprised if it's a bit tense and sore still for the next couple days after that. Mr. Malfoy, I'll need you to step outside for a few minutes while I help Miss Granger change."

Draco did not look too pleased about the prospect of being away from Hermione's side, but after another dark glance from the nurse sent him on his way. He pressed a light kiss to Hermione's temple before he left.

"I'd better go tell the others that you're awake, anyway. I know that Ginny's been pacing the better part of the night, and that little Harry could do would settle her." She blinked at his use of Harry's first name, but didn't mention anything as Madame Pomfrey hustled him out of the ward.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked the nurse when she returned.

"About a day and a half. Mr. Malfoy brought you in around one in the morning on Christmas night." She responded briskly as she bustled Hermione out of the sweater she was wearing and into a clean top. She helped settle the girl back into the pillows so that she was sitting up, and then disappeared for a minute. When she came back, Hermione asked another question that had been bothering her.

"Are they injured badly?" she gestured with her good arm at the other two that were visible in the ward.

"No, they just complain quite a bit. I've decided to make it worth their while to be here." Madame Pomfrey added with a wink. "Now that one, she's a right mess. Can't sleep, and when she does, it's all nightmares. I have a feeling Miss Parkinson will not be sleeping well for a few weeks at best."

"Oh," Hermione bit her lip, then glanced up at the nurse guiltily. "Do you think she's going to be okay?"

"Serves her right," Madame Pomfrey nodded succinctly, surprising Hermione with her frank approval. "But don't say that I said it. She's sent a fair few number of her classmates here on 'accidents' that were potentially hazardous to them. I think it's about time someone made her think twice."

Hermione gaped at the woman for a moment, before Madame Pomfrey continued with a softer tone.

"Now that young Mr. Malfoy of yours, I had so worried that he would turn out the way his father did. Goodness knows he's started a few scrapes of his own, but he never left your side once. The others came and went, but he refused to stray. He's quite a devoted young man." She watched Hermione's reddening cheeks with a keen eye and a small smile.

"He's certainly that," Hermione agreed, amazed that Draco would do such a thing, then wondering why she was so surprised. Hadn't he proven to her that he was a changed man? That he was not as cold and distant as everyone thought him to be? Her heart warmed at the remembrance of his sleeping form in the chair next to her bed.

"Here now, my dear, take this, you're still rebuilding muscle, and it helps if you sleep while that happens." Madame Pomfrey pressed a cup of something that did not smell all that pleasant into her hand and to her lips before Hermione could protest. Almost instantly, Hermione could feel her eyelids growing heavy, and sleepiness was pulling her under.

"Draco," she murmured, "tell him… I love… him…"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione was vaguely aware when Draco came back in a fresh change of clothes, and sat back down at her side with a book in his hand. She wasn't sure how long she was supposed to stay in the hospital, but she felt the tension in her shoulder and knew that Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let her go until she was given a clean bill of health. She wondered what Draco was going to do with all that time… then she was asleep again…

*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione drifted in and out of consciousness over what she figured must be a couple days. It was hard to tell, since Draco hardly ever left her side, and every time she would wake up for more than a short time, Madame Pomfrey would give her more sleeping potion. Once when Hermione was awake, she noticed that the other beds in the Hospital Wong were empty again, and another time, Draco and Ginny were playing Wizards Chess quietly at the foot of her bed. Aside from that though, Hermione's last days of December passed by in a dreamy haze.

*~*~*~*~*~*

When next she woke, there was a quiet conversation going on above her head. She kept her eyes closed, hoping to hear something of interest.

"-she could have been a lot worse," Harry was saying in a hushed tone. Draco's voice was equally low, and filled with a deep regret.

"I know, believe me, I know. I never wanted her to get hurt, you know that. If I had thought that she would be in danger like that, I wouldn't have let her out of my sight."

"You did the best you could," Ginny comforted him, and Hermione had to smother a smile. Trust Ginny to try and ease Draco's guilt.

"What are you going to do about it?" Ron asked, and Hermione had to wonder for a second what he was referring to. Draco sighed heavily.

"I don't know. I promised her that I wouldn't stop her if she wanted to fight. I just didn't know that she meant to do it so soon," he added with a rueful little laugh.

"Why would you have to promise her something like that?" Harry wanted to know, and Hermione got the impression that Ginny had just rolled her eyes at him, because then he said, "It's an honest question!"

"She disagreed with my methods. I didn't want her to get hurt, so I suggested that maybe it would be better for her to remain in a safe place while the fighting was happening. Needless to say, she had a few pointed things to say about that."

"I can imagine she would," Ron agreed with a laughing lilt to his voice. Someone smoothed a hand across her forehead, and pressed her bangs back to one side. Draco was speaking again, this time his tone was contemplative.

"I sometimes wonder if she wouldn't be safer away from me."

Hermione decided she was done listening to them talk about her in such a manner. She opened her eyes without preamble and stated, quite eloquently for having supposedly been asleep only moments before,

"No." The others were startled at her adamant refusal and blinked down at her as she struggled to sit up. Ron and Ginny stood at the foot of the bed, and Harry and Draco each lent a hand in helping her to sit up.

"Now, 'Mione, listen to reason," Draco started, but she cut him off.

"No, absolutely not. You will not sacrifice my happiness because you're feeling guilty. I refuse to allow it."

"Very well then," Draco smiled down at her, with a smirk lingering somewhere in the depths of his grey eyes, "I wasn't too keen on the idea myself, you know."

Then he kissed her, right there in front of the others; he kissed her with the passion of a man worried, then relieved when his worries fell false. Harry glanced away uncomfortably, and Ron turned red. Ginny grinned at them like a Cheshire cat.

"Now then, Mr. Malfoy, that's enough of that." Madame Pomfrey came bustling in with a pile of clean linens in her arms. "She's not been awake more than a few minutes and you're already tiring her out. Stop that at once, young man!" Draco moved back from Hermione with a recalcitrant look on his face. Ron was laughing, until Madame Pomfrey shot him a nasty look, and he stopped.

"Miss Granger, if your friends will clear the area, then we can do a final check on that shoulder, and if I think you're clear, then you may go."

The other four scattered quickly, anxious to have Hermione out of the Hospital Wing. A few minutes later, she joined them in the hallway, flexing her left arm and rolling the shoulder as if loosening a tightened muscle.

They made their way down to the Great Hall for some lunch, and as they walked, Draco hung back with Hermione for the entire way. Just before they entered, he motioned for the others to go on ahead and pulled Hermione out of the way of the doors.

"What is it, Draco?" She asked softly, squeezing his hand. She had been feeling particularly softened to him in general since finding out that he had spent the night in the hospital with her while she was there.

"Hermione, I'm really sorry about what happened, you know that, right?" He looked worried.

"Draco, that wasn't your fault. You didn't know that your ex-girlfriend was psychotic." He flinched when she called Pansy his ex, but he let it pass, instead gathering her close, and kissing her again.

"Are you really hungry?" He murmured in her ear. She looked up at him through her lashes with a deeply tempting expression and licked her lips.

"I'm suddenly ravenous, but I don't think I'm going to find something to suit my current appetite in the Great Hall."

Draco paused as he looked down at her. "Are you sure, Hermione? I don't want you to feel like I'm rushing you, or pushing it."

"I know that," she assured him, "I'm ready for this, and I'm sure. I love you Draco, and I trust you."

With that, he took her hand and led the way down the stone stairs to the lower levels of the castle. With a quiet whisper of the password, he took her into the empty Slytherin Common Room. She hesitated on the threshold, knowing that this was taboo, but the look of desire in Draco's once-again stormy eyes overrode any reservations she may have had about entering this forbidden territory.

He took her down a long hall, and another set of stairs to a locked door. He pulled the key from his pocket, unlocking what turned out to be a bedroom, and letting her precede him into the room. She looked around with interest at his room. There was a large bed in the center, with a deep emerald comforter with silver lining covering it. A fireplace to one side of the room sent heat and limited light bouncing off the stone grey walls, and a desk on the opposite side of the room bore very little sign of use.

"You don't have to share with anyone?" Hermione asked with interest. Draco shook his head.

"It was long ago decided that Slytherins were better off having their own space. It breeds less contempt."

"That makes sense," Hermione nodded, her eyes falling once again on the oversized bed. She felt a slight flutter of nerves, but as soon as Draco came up behind her and held her against his chest, even those little butterflies were dissipated.

She turned in his arms and kissed him suddenly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him. He gripped at her hips, bringing their bodies even closer together, and kissing her back fiercely. There was a sense of desperation and need there, but it was firmly leashed in with a controlled passion that made Hermione tremble.

He carefully caught her up and carried her to the bed, peeling back the blanket and lying her on soft steel-grey sheets underneath. He just as carefully helped her to remove her clothing, leaving her in only a soft pink bra that nearly blended in with the creaminess of her skin, and a matching pair of bikini panties. Draco marveled at the sight of her, finally laid out across his bed, just as he'd imagined in the most fiery nights of their relationship, and, if he was honest with himself, several times before they had ever started going out.

Her soft, peachy skin stood out against the harsh grey sheets, and made her all the more ethereal appearing. Her hair fanned out on the pillow as she watched him with doe-like brown eyes. He kissed her slowly, letting her get used to the idea of being so uncovered around him. He wanted nothing more than to simply strip them both bare, and plunge into her with a heated abandon, but he held himself in check. Hermione deserved better than that… at least the first few times. Once they got the hang of this, he was sure they could afford to get a little more inventive.

He caressed her shoulders, running his fingers along her collarbone with a light teasing brush. He moved his hand down her side, avoiding her breasts, coming to settle on her soft belly instead. She gave a tiny sighing moan as he dallied around her belly button, then swept his hand upward, between the valley between her breasts to rest a couple fingers on her rapidly beating heart.

"I love you too, Hermione," he murmured, and she frowned in confusion. He smirked down at her, looking a bit roguish and quite handsome. "Madame Pomfrey said you had a message for me. I love you too."

"You know I love you," Hermione reminded him, "I didn't think there was any doubt in that one."

"No, there really isn't, but I do love to hear you say it." Then he got up and slowly took off his own clothing, leaving his boxers on until they were ready for that final step. If he took down too many of his barriers, he'd more than likely lose control too quickly.

Instead he wanted to see Hermione lose it all and come back for more. He smiled wickedly down at her, and then he kissed her. His lips traced hers, his tongue following the outline of her mouth until she opened her lips and admitted his tongue. He tenderly took her into his arms, running an arm down her side again, this time to hold her hip and turn her to face him as they lie on the bed together. He danced little kisses down her neck, and to her breasts, reaching behind her, he fumbled momentarily with the closure on her bra, before it sprang free and the bra fell away from her succulent breasts.

He had thought that the pink of her undergarments was tempting; it was nothing compared to the dusky rose of her nipples as they beckoned to him. Leaning down he took one into his mouth and laved the tip with his tongue. She cried out lightly, arching into his hold and pressing his head closer with one hand. Taking this to be a good response, he lapped at her nipple, sucking and nibbling on it with a delicate set to his teeth. She moaned and tried to keep him closer, but he switched to her other breast, and watched as she squirmed and wriggled under his lips. He slid one hand down to cup her bottom in one hand.

She arched her hips into his, pressing insistently against his just as insistent erection. He groaned with the effort it was taking for him not to just ravish her in that instant. Hermione seemed to sense that his hold was tenuous, because something very wicked and un-Hermione-like flickered in the depths of her eyes, and she separated one hand from where it had gripped in his blonde hair to stroke his chest. Her questing fingers sought out the waistband of his underwear. Warning bells sounded in his head.

"'Mione, stop that." Draco remonstrated quietly. "Just let me touch you."

And saying that, he moved the hand that had cupped her bottom to tease along the elastic at her leg, slipping one finger beneath it, to stroke the soft skin of her thighs and hips. He ran the same finger toward the front of her panties, and gently rubbed at the damp, heated flesh he discovered at the apex.

She shivered at his touch and pressed closer, urging him to continue. He dipped his other fingers beneath the crotch of her panties, stroking the tender flesh there, until her hips were undulating against his hand. Cautiously, he slipped his middle finger inside the wet channel secluded beneath her womanly folds. She cried out at the invasion, but she shifted against him more furiously, riding his hand as he moved his finger slowly in and out of her.

He watched as her eyes went overly bright with desire, the pupils dilating wildly, and her cheeks suffused with an attractive blush. Everything about her in that very instant cried out for sexual release, from the bow of her arched back, to the tension in her lower body as her hips jutted against his hand. Finally, it proved to be too much for her, and her body arched further, her hips thrusting up to meet his hand as he pressed against that little nub hidden in the folds of her drenched apex.

She cried out his name, her hands gripping at his shoulder tightly, her nails digging lightly into the flesh there, but he didn't mind. He watched her as the convulsions he could feel against his fingers slowly subsided, and then he kissed her gently, slowly removing her panties and his boxers. We wanted no more barriers between them, and she gasped slightly as she looked up at him with a slightly wondering look in her eye. Carefully, he aligned himself up with her opening, the paused.

"We'll go slowly," he murmured, and she smiled trustingly up at him, and nodded.

"Go on, Draco, I'm ready."

He took a deep breath, and then slowly he inched himself inside her. He froze when a tightness stopped him, and that tension was reflected around her eyes. He let her get used to him being in as far as he was, then pushed against that final barrier. She tensed, her eyes closed, teeth sunk into her lower lip. It took a moment, but when she opened her eyes, the look there was indefinable. It was something like love, wonder, and a tinge of discomfort, but Draco was lost in the feeling of her wrapped around him like that. Tight, warm and so soft.

She gasped as he slid all the way into her. He paused again, to make sure she was okay, then slowly, much more slowly than he even thought he could manage, he began to thrust in and out of her. She gasped on every in stroke, and gave a little sigh on every out, and the sounds that she made set Draco even closer to the edge. As she grew more languid beneath him, he carefully upped the pace. Now her gasps were coming out as little moans every so often, and Draco could feel himself starting to perspire with the effort of keeping a steady rhythm going.

"Draco," Hermione gasped, her hands going down to grip his hips and push him in farther, "Oh, please, go faster."

It was all the permission he needed, as a low grumbling groan bubbled up from his throat. He pushed in and out of her more quickly now, giving them both what they needed. She was trying to meet him thrust for thrust, but missed every third one or so, and was pushing her hips upward to his, letting him slide in even deeper with the better angle. Suddenly, she grasped his back with grappling fingers, forcing herself up and closer than ever before as a second wave of orgasm crashed through her. The tiny tremors and convulsions inside her squeezed him with a delicious torture, and with another few thrusts, he came with her name as a desperate cry on his lips.

Shuddering and gasping as soon as his orgasm had passed, he fell slightly, catching himself on his elbows so as not to crush her with his weight. She was smiling dreamily up at him, and he couldn't help but return it with a goofy grin of his own. Tiredly, he leaned down and caught her lips in a lazy kiss. She kissed him back with the same level of spent energy, then cuddled him close. He turned to the side, and drew her into the circle of his embrace. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Draco," she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed.

"Hmm," he couldn't manage much more than that, his eyelids already feeling heavy. Lack of sleep over these past few days caught up with him, and he could use the nap, but he tried to stay conscious long enough to hear what she was saying.

"Love you…" she whispered against his shoulder, and then she sighed and seemed to settle into sleep.

"Love you too…" he whispered back, finally allowing the waves of exhaustion and worry roll him off to slumber.

*~*~*~*~*

When Hermione woke up, she was in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room, with a very unfamiliar sensation in her lower body. It took her a few seconds to get her bearings, and then it all made sense again. She was in Draco's bed, in his room, and that sore, tingly feeling was more than likely a reaction to their earlier activity. Hermione smiled like the cat that got the cream. Making love with Draco had been amazing, and could only be described as breathtaking. Granted, she didn't have any other experience to compare it to, but as far as she was concerned, that was all right with her.

She yawned, and shifted, realizing with a start that Draco was pressed against her from behind, and that his arm was slung across her waist in a vaguely possessive manner. She smiled wider, and patted his hand absently.

"Are you awake?" Draco asked quietly, and she turned in his arms to face him. His grey eyes almost seemed to glow silver in the low light from the fireplace, and he was smiling down at her. Leaning in, he kissed her gently, then sat back again, his head propped up on one hand. "How're you feeling?"

"Wonderful," Hermione responded, stretching her arms languidly above her head. "What about you?"

"I can't remember feeling better," he replied, leaning in to kiss her again, this time a little more warmly. Sighing, he rolled to his back and stared up at the ceiling for a minute, before he said, "We should probably get back to the others soon, you know. It's probably almost time for the party."

"What party?" Hermione asked, sitting up next to him, pulling the sheet up to cover her chest as she did.

"The New Year's Eve Party. Apparently the Weasley twins have something interesting planned, and McGonagall gave them permission to do it in the Great Hall for all the students."

"Oh," Hermione was a little surprised to hear about this, as it must have been planned while she was still in the Hospital.

"Ginny said she wanted you to go with her before it anyway. Apparently she has some special outfit that you're supposed to be wearing."

"Oh," Hermione repeated, trying to reconcile this caring man who fit in so nicely with her friends with the boy who had made fun of her since shortly after she started attending Hogwarts. He grinned at her, and rolled out of bed. As he bent to find his clothes, Hermione had a chance to really admire him.

The all-too-brief look she'd had in the Prefect's bathroom, and then again earlier, hadn't allowed her to outline his physique as clearly as she'd have liked. He had the lean muscle tone that was required for his sport, but he had enough definition to make her mouth water when she realized that that was hers. And now she knew what to do with it, too. Another slightly wicked smile lit her features, and Draco caught this expression as he turned, his pants back on.

"What's so funny?" He asked, slightly bemused. He tugged on his shirt, and then started gathering Hermione's clothing and setting on the foot of the bed near her.

"Nothing, funny. I was just thinking about Quidditch, that's all." She said misleadingly, and started to get dressed. He watched her with a quizzical look, not sure she was being entirely honest, but didn't press it as they got ready and went back up towards the main part of the castle.

*~*~*Several hours later*~*~*

Draco stood in the corner and brooded. It was an odd feeling, to be brooding again. He'd been so cheerful, so happy for the past few months that this dark expression he was wearing felt almost unnatural. One of the Weasley twins tried to engage him in conversation, but Draco waved him off. He wasn't in the mood to talk right now. Even Ginny couldn't drag him from this mood he was in. It was her fault that he was feeling this way anyway.

He watched as the attractive brunette shimmying on the dance floor with a sulky expression. Sure, she was only dancing with Neville Longbottom, but even so. She had only been able to dance once with him, before half of the Gryffindor boys, and a fair number of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw ones too, had swept down on her and she'd been dragged off to the dance floor.

"You don't look like you're enjoying yourself," Ron stated as he leaned against the wall next to the Slytherin. He handed Draco an opened bottle of butterbeer, which was accepted with a quiet word of thanks.

"Does she have to do that?" Draco asked, gesturing at the group of guys swarming around Hermione like bees to honey.

"I don't see that there's anything wrong with her dancing," Ron commented, then took a sip of his own butterbeer. "It's not like they don't all know that she's off-limits."

"Then why must they flock to her like that? She's never been one to attract a lot of attention before. What's different now?" Draco's mood was not improving, and he was tempted to leave the party, but he wasn't willing to let Hermione out of his sight.

"I don't think she's intentionally doing it, you know. Although she is a sight to see in that dress that Ginny's dressed her in." Ron's appreciation was something that Draco couldn't handle. He turned to look at the lanky Gryffindor boy.

"You're not going to try and dance with her too now, are you?" he demanded. Ron looked surprised at the suggestion.

"Me? No, I'm not," he laughed a little ruefully, "Two left feet, you know."

"Humph," Draco clearly didn't find that to be an issue, as Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff cut in and took over Longbottom's dance with 'Mione.

"I just don't like it. They're all touching her and looking at her. She's not the type of girl that you do that to." Draco protested, knowing he sounded like a petulant child, but not knowing how to stop it now that it's begun.

"Well, you could ask her to dance yourself." Ron said quietly, as if it should have been obvious. Draco glared at him. The redhead shrugged.

"Just a suggestion. If there's one thing I've learned from Hannah, it's not to be afraid to take a step. She's a brilliant girl, you know."

"I'm so very happy for you," Draco drawled sarcastically. Ron shot him a censuring look, then pushed away from the wall.

"Well, I can see there's no point in standing here and being ignored or insulted. See you 'round, mate." The he merged back into the crowd and disappeared. Draco watched him go with a tiny stab of guilt. Now he was alone again, and he had to suffer through Hermione's dancing with every other guy in the school on his own.

About ten minutes, and quite a few vicious thoughts aimed at the male population of Hogwarts, later, there was a break in the dancing as the students dispersed to mill along the tables lined with food along one wall of the Great Hall. Hermione and Ginny were arm in arm and giggling madly as they fought their way through the crowd over to where Draco was pouting.

"-was fantastic," Ginny was saying, and Hermione was nodding in agreement. Draco looked her over appraisingly. The burgundy dress that she had on was snug across the top, accenting her chest, before flaring out slightly to form a little bell of a skirt that fell to just above the knee. Ginny had found her a pair of burgundy ballet slipper-style shoes that laced halfway up her calf, and Hermione had tamed her hair again, though it was less demure, and more controlled chaos as it framed her face in a brown, wavy halo.

Ginny hadn't spared any trouble on her own outfit either. Her light purple dress brought out the color of the stone at her throat, and the lighter streaks in her hair. All in all, he thought they both looked very nice, but he wished that the rest of the male half of the student body didn't agree with him so readily. Draco shot Ginny a nasty look that brought her up short. Her hands propped up on her hips and an argumentative look crossed her face.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to look at it!" She shot at him, and Draco crossed his arms in front of his torso. They glared at each other for a minute or so, until Hermione broke the tension with a quick snap of her fingers between them.

"Stop, the both of you. You're acting like spoiled children." Her chastisement was firm, though her voice was light-hearted. Ginny dropped her arms to her sides with a sigh, and shook out her long red hair behind her haughtily.

"It's all right, Draco. I know you're just jealous." Then she grinned, and wandered off to grab something to drink. Draco stared after her with an indignant look of surprise on his face.

"I am not _jealous_," He retorted to nobody in particular, making Hermione stifle a giggle, "I am a Malfoy, we don't get jealous." Hermione's amusement broke free at that, and she bent at the waist as gales of laughter overwhelmed her thin frame. Draco watched her with an eyebrow raised, disdain written across his features, although a spark of mirth smoldered in his eyes. She was just too damn adorable, in his not-so-humble opinion.

"Hermione, kindly cease your laughing. It is not funny." He stated, quite calmly, with just a hint of the disdain that was in his expression. Hermione tried to calm herself down, and ended up stumbling over into Draco's side. He sighed and finally chuckled along with her, holding her in his arms. He was suddenly feeling much better, now that his 'Mione was back in his arms, and away from the drooling masses of boys. She sighed as her giggling subsided and she nestled into his embrace.

A slower song started up, and Draco looked down at Hermione with a small smile. Couples were starting to fill up the floor again, and Draco led her out into the crowd along with them. He pulled her into his arms with a soft sigh, and held her close as they rocked back and forth.

_This was much better than brooding,_ he thought. _Much better indeed._

*~*~*~*~*

That was not the last time that Draco danced with Hermione, nor the last time he stood by and watched her dance with other people. He came to enjoy just watching _her_ and if he happened to intimidate several of her dance partners with a dark-eyed glare, then so be it.

As the entire school counted down to the New Year, he held her close and they waited for whatever special surprise the Weasley Twins had planned.

"3…2…1! Happy New Year!" As the cheering filled the Great Hall, Draco looked at the lovely brunette in his arms and kissed her soundly. The coming year was bound to be fraught with perils, but right this second, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the world.

"_Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind…"_

Music was blaring from somewhere, and high over the heads of the students a sudden booming crash resounded. As everyone looked up to the ceiling, more fireworks were set off. Large pinwheels of color and light zoomed across the Great Hall, earning oohs and ahhs of appreciation from the students gathered below. Bright flashes of shape and chromatic wonder lit up the faces of them. Hermione was grinning up at the fireworks, and then caught Draco's eye as he smiled at her.

The look she returned him was full of joy and love, and he kissed her again with a passion that took even him by surprise. He pulled her backward against the wall and kissed her more thoroughly. Hermione responded in kind, pulling back long enough to gasp in a quick breath. She dragged his head down so that his ear was pressed to her lips.

"I've got a sudden craving for dessert."

"Oh?" Draco's eyebrows jumped up at her brazen suggestion. "Do you want to go back to mine?"

She shook her head. "Let's go for a swim," she whispered, taking his hand and leading him down the corridors to the Prefect's bathroom. Draco grinned. Yes, this was a _very _happy New Year indeed!

~END~


End file.
